JP7602799B2 - Texture maintaining material and method for producing same - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a material that maintains the texture of food and beverages, and a method for producing the same.

In addition to skins and seeds, parts of vegetables that are discarded during cooking and processing are by-produced as cores, stems and leaves, bases of plants, petiole bases, root tips, nodes, etc. For example, the core of a cabbage, which is considered to be a discarded part, constitutes about 15% of the fresh weight of the head of cabbage, and about 35% of broccoli inflorescences (raw) are discarded as stems and leaves (Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2020 Edition (8th Edition)).

On the other hand, these discarded parts do not pose any safety issues and contain parts with nutritional value such as minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber. In order to make effective use of these parts, it has been suggested to chop the cores and stems finely and mix them into dishes when cooking at home, or to season the cores and stems and make them into a dish.

In this way, efforts are being made to make effective use of discarded vegetable parts, mainly within the home, but since large amounts of discarded vegetable parts are also produced as by-products at vegetable processing plants and other facilities, their use in the food and beverage industry is being considered. For example, cabbage cores and broccoli stalks are produced as by-products in large quantities at sites that process large quantities of food, such as vegetable processing plants, but they can only stay fresh for a short period of time, and the processing residues need to be treated before they spoil, so these discarded parts are used as animal feed or processed as raw materials for compost before they lose their nutritional value.

On the other hand, there are high hopes for technology to process cabbage cores into food and beverage ingredients with long shelf life, in order to make more efficient use of food resources.

While developing technology for advanced utilization of discarded vegetable parts, the inventors discovered that discarded vegetable parts, which are harder than edible parts, have a texture similar to that of the original fresh food when cut, dried, and rehydrated.

Thus, the present disclosure provides:
(Item 1)
below:
A texture-maintaining material for food and beverages, which satisfies at least one of the following criteria selected from the group consisting of (i) a ground product of a food or beverage, (ii) a material containing at least about 10% by weight of particles of about 0.5 mm or larger, (iii) a material in a form that can be stored for a long period of time, and (iv) a material derived from a ground product derived from a non-edible portion of the food or beverage.
(Item 2)
The texture-maintaining material described in the above item includes a material that does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of approximately 0.5 mm.
(Item 3)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, including a material that passes through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 1 mm but does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 0.5 mm.
(Item 4)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the material contains at least about 10% by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 0.5 mm.
(Item 5)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, including a material that passes through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 0.5 mm but does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 0.3 mm.
(Item 6)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the material contains at least about 80% by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of about 0.3 mm.
(Item 7)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the material contains a mesh passing fraction with a pore size of about 0.5 mm of about 90% or less by weight.
(Item 8)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the material that has absorbed water exhibits an area expansion of approximately 30% or less when a load of approximately 1 kgf/ ^cm2 is applied thereto.
(Item 9)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the form for long-term storage includes a dried form.
(Item 10)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the long-term storage form is achieved by drying at about 80°C or less.
(Item 11)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the food or beverage comprises vegetables, fruits, grains, mushrooms, potatoes, sugar beets, beans, nuts and seeds, algae, and tea.
(Item 12)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the inedible parts include the core of a cabbage, the stems and leaves of a broccoli, the stems and leaves of a cauliflower, the base of a Chinese cabbage plant, the base of a lettuce plant, the base of an asparagus plant, the tip or base of a burdock petiole, the tip or base of a radish petiole, the base of a turnip petiole, the tip or base of a carrot petiole, the nodes of a lotus root, the base of a bamboo shoot, the base of a mushroom, or the lower part of a mushroom stalk.
(Item 13)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the following B/A value is at least greater than about 1.0.
(A) the amount of any one of citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with water at room temperature; (B) the amount of the same as that selected in (A) selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with hot water at about 60° C. (Item 14)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the pulverized material derived from the inedible parts is in the form of a plate, a shredded shape, a strip, a disk or a dice.
(Item 15)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the inedible parts are the core of a cabbage or the stems and leaves of a broccoli, and the material is a dried, pulverized product of the inedible parts, and contains at least about 10% by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.5 mm.
(Item 16)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, wherein the inedible parts are the core of a cabbage or the stems and leaves of a broccoli, and the material is a dried, crushed product of the inedible parts, and contains at least about 80% by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.3 mm.
(Item 17)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the inedible part is the core of a cabbage or the stems and leaves of a broccoli, and the material is a cut product of the inedible part, including a cut product having a thickness of about 1 mm or more in the growth axis direction of the core or the stems and leaves.
(Item 18)
The texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items, which is used as a material for a 3D food printer.
(Item 19)
A food or beverage obtained by absorbing the texture-maintaining material described in any one of the above items.
(Item 20)
A food or beverage obtained by absorbing water from a processed molded material of the texture-maintaining material described in any one of the above items.
(Item 21)
A processed product obtained by drying the food or beverage described in any one of the above items.
(Item 22)
A food or drink obtained by mixing the texture-maintaining material according to any one of the above items with a suspension of bacterial cellulose.
(Item A1)
A step of processing inedible parts of a food or beverage into a form that can be stored for a long period of time;
and pulverizing the inedible portion in a form that can be stored for a long period of time so that the minimum diameter is at least about 0.5 mm or more.
(Item A2)
The method according to the above item, wherein the material that has absorbed water has an area that increases by about 30% or less when a load of about 1 kgf/ ^cm2 is applied thereto.
(Item A3)
2. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the long-term storage form comprises a dried form.
(Item A4)
The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the long-term storage form is achieved by drying at about 80°C or less.
(Item A5)
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the food or drink comprises vegetables, fruits, grains, mushrooms, potatoes, sugar beets, beans, nuts and seeds, algae, and tea.
(Item A6)
The method according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the inedible parts include the core of a cabbage, the stems and leaves of a broccoli, the stems and leaves of a cauliflower, the base of a Chinese cabbage plant, the base of a lettuce plant, the base of an asparagus plant, the tip or base of a burdock petiole, the tip or base of a radish petiole, the base of a turnip petiole, the tip or base of a carrot petiole, the nodes of a lotus root, the base of a bamboo shoot, the base of a mushroom, or the lower part of a mushroom stalk.
(Item A7)
The method according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the value of B/A is at least about 1.0.
(A) The amount of any one of citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with water at room temperature. (B) The amount of the same substance as that selected in (A) selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with hot water at about 60° C. (Item A8).
The method according to any one of the preceding items, wherein the shape of the inedible portion is a plate, a slice, a strip, a disk, or a dice.

In the present disclosure, it is intended that one or more of the above features may be provided in combinations in addition to the combinations explicitly stated. Further embodiments and advantages of the present disclosure will be recognized by those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description, if necessary.

In addition, the features and notable actions and effects of the present disclosure other than those described above will become clear to those skilled in the art by referring to the following description of the embodiments of the invention and the drawings.

The texture-maintaining material for food and beverages disclosed herein is made from inedible parts, which contributes to the intensive use of discarded parts and can add high value to the discarded parts by making them into a new material with good texture and long shelf life. It can also be used as a material for 3D food printers as a texture-imparting ingredient with long shelf life, and by mixing in a suspension of disintegrated nata de coco, it is possible to provide food and beverages that have an enhanced dietary fiber texture in addition to the chewy texture of agricultural produce.

Figure 1 shows photographs of cut pieces of cabbage core and broccoli stem that were molded. The top row shows before drying, the middle row shows after drying, and the bottom row shows rehydrated after drying. In each photograph, the top center and the bottom left and right show samples derived from cabbage core, and the top left and right and bottom center show samples derived from broccoli stem. Figure 2 is a photograph showing roughly chopped and dried cabbage core and broccoli stem. Left: from cabbage core, right: from broccoli core. Figure 3 is a photograph showing the molded products obtained from the powder derived from cabbage core. Top left: sheet-shaped molded product made of powder and water, top right: sheet-shaped molded product made of powder and canola puree, middle: stick-shaped molded product made of powder and canola puree, bottom: spoon-shaped molded product made of powder and canola puree. Figure 4 is a graph showing the area spread of each sample when a weight is placed on it. The area was calculated as the covered area when observed from above based on the mesh (scale = 2.12 mm) in the photograph of Figure 5. FIG. 5 is a photograph showing the area expansion of each sample when a weight is placed on it. FIG. 6 is a photograph showing a spaghetti salad mixed with a texture-maintaining material (cabbage core-derived material) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a photograph showing a potato salad mixed with a texture-maintaining material (broccoli stem and leaf-derived material) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a photograph showing a mashed potato-like food product containing a texture-maintaining material (cabbage core powder) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference to the best mode. Throughout this specification, singular expressions should be understood to include the concept of the plural form, unless otherwise specified. Therefore, singular articles (e.g., in the case of English, "a", "an", "the", etc.) should be understood to include the concept of the plural form, unless otherwise specified. In addition, it should be understood that the terms used in this specification are used in the sense commonly used in the field, unless otherwise specified. Therefore, unless otherwise defined, all technical terms and scientific and technical terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In the case of conflict, the present specification (including definitions) will take precedence.

The following provides definitions of terms and/or basic technical content that are particularly used in this specification.

In this specification, "about" means ±10% of the numerical value that follows.

As used herein, "inedible parts" refers to parts of food and beverages that are discarded in normal eating habits, and specifically refers to the discarded parts of individual foods in the "Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2020 Edition (8th Edition): Report of the Resource Survey Subcommittee of the Council for Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, December 2020 (https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20201225-mxt_kagsei-mext_01110_011.pdf)" and/or "Data for the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2020 Edition (8th Edition) (20201225-mxt_kagsei-mext_01110_012.xlsx (live.com))". In addition, non-edible parts also include parts that are removed from the process of cutting for specific purposes during the production of processed foods (e.g., to homogenize shape and quality, improve suitability for transportation, etc.). Inedible parts also include parts that are removed from the primary processing and distribution process for a specific purpose, even though they are edible. Inedible parts include, but are not limited to, the following:
Cabbage core, broccoli stems and leaves, cauliflower stems and leaves, Chinese cabbage base, lettuce base, asparagus base, burdock tip or petiole base, radish tip or petiole base, turnip petiole base, carrot tip or petiole base, lotus root node, bamboo shoot base, mushroom base, or mushroom stalk bottom

In this specification, "texture" refers to the skin sensation in the oral cavity, including the teeth and tongue, among the five senses felt when eating food (in this specification, "food" is used interchangeably with "foodstuffs", and "food" can also include beverages when referring to food). Specifically, texture refers to the firmness, feel on the tongue, and throat feel, and these characteristics can be expressed by physical properties such as hardness and viscosity. Texture, along with other senses such as taste, is an important element in determining "deliciousness." Texture can be evaluated, for example, using instrumental measurement methods using a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring device, a chewing model, etc., in addition to human tests.

Texture can be evaluated using these instrumental measurement methods, but because there are no versatile methods for reproducing the complex movements in the oral cavity or measuring faint chewing sounds, the foods to which these instruments can be applied are limited to foods with a high degree of homogeneity. Therefore, texture is evaluated by measuring the main elements that make up texture and evaluating the differences exhibited by individual food samples.

The reasons why inedible parts are considered inedible despite being edible are that they have poor taste, are inhomogeneous, are connected to organs and tend to leave dirt behind (such as the base of the petiole of a radish), are difficult to process and cook (such as the tips of radishes and carrots), and are hard. Inedible parts are harder than edible parts, so if they are processed and cooked under the same conditions as edible parts, they will remain hard, and conversely, if they are processed and cooked under conditions that soften the hard parts, the edible parts will be overly soft. For this reason, in many cases, the edible and inedible parts are first separated, and only the edible parts that can be used for high-quality cooking are used. The removed inedible parts can be softened to an appropriate softness by processing and cooking only the inedible parts. However, there are fewer processing and cooking patterns for inedible parts than for edible parts, and they are more time-consuming, so the use of inedible parts is not widespread. In particular, vegetable processing plants and the like are able to recover inedible parts, process and cook them, and soften them until they are edible, but there are no suppliers who can quickly supply the highly perishable products and sell them as high-added-value products, so they remain in low-level use.

The edible parts of raw foods and foods that have been quickly boiled or fried have a moderately hard, crunchy texture. However, if these are dried to withstand long-term storage, it becomes extremely difficult to reproduce the crunchy texture after rehydration. In this disclosure, by using inedible parts that are harder than the edible parts, the hardness remains even after drying and rehydration, making it possible to provide a high-added-value material that can express a crunchy texture that is difficult to achieve with edible parts.

Therefore, in this specification, "hardness" can be cited as one of the indices for evaluating texture, and "hardness" can be evaluated, for example, by measuring the bite quality when chewing, the generation of minute sounds, and the mechanical disintegration of tissues.

In this specification, "palatability" refers to a property inherent to food, and refers to the overall sensation that a person experiences when ingesting a food or drink, resulting in a positive sensation toward the food. It is perceived by all five senses, including not only the taste itself (gustation), but also the appearance (sight), aroma (smell), texture (touch), sound when chewing (hearing), and the atmosphere and environment of the meal, and is a property that can be controlled by the characteristics of the food or drink.

In this specification, "texture" refers to the sensation of food perceived by the sense of touch, and "maintaining texture" refers to maintaining at least one of the physical properties that the food originally had, such as the chewiness, feel on the tongue, and smoothness down the throat, or the hardness and viscosity that express these characteristics. Hardness and viscosity can be measured using a hardness tester, rheometer, Instron tester, Rapid Visco analyzer, Brabender Farinograph, texturometer, etc., and can be appropriately selected depending on the shape of the food sample and the measurable range, etc.

In this specification, "texture-maintaining material" refers to a material that maintains the chewiness, feel on the tongue, smoothness down the throat, etc., that a food originally had, and includes a material whose texture itself and/or the texture of the material obtained by absorbing water recalls or is similar to at least one of the chewiness, feel on the tongue, smoothness down the throat, etc., that the food from which the material was made originally had, or physical properties such as hardness or viscosity that express those characteristics.

In this specification, "pulverization" refers to the process of applying some energy to a food or drink (including solids, liquids, and mixtures thereof) in a solid form of a certain size to make it smaller than its original size. Examples include processes such as micronization, fragmentation, destruction by impact, or grinding or crushing by shearing, and each process can increase homogeneity by mixing the ground material.

In this specification, "pulverized material" refers to a material obtained by pulverization.

In this specification, "cutting" refers to the process of cutting solid foods and beverages (including solids, liquids, and mixtures thereof) into smaller pieces than their original size, such as roughly chopping or finely chopping, among other types of pulverization.

In this specification, "a form that can be stored for a long time" refers to the form in which the food or drink has been subjected to inactivation treatment such as blanching to suppress the activity of enzymes that cause deterioration, and/or has been subjected to drying treatment to suppress microbial activity and chemical changes.

In this specification, "long-term" refers to a period of at least one month.

In this specification, "hole diameter of approximately 0.5 mm" refers to a mesh with an opening of approximately 0.5 mm, where the opening refers to the vertical or horizontal width of the space (approximately square) per mesh formed by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines in the mesh. Therefore, "hole diameter of approximately 0.5 mm" refers to a standard sieve wire mesh with an opening of approximately 0.5 mm (30 mesh) as specified by the JIS.

In this specification, "passing through the mesh" means that ground, cut, or granulated food or beverage material passes through the space (approximately square) per mesh (hole) formed by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines in the mesh.

In this specification, "does not pass through the mesh" means that ground, cut, or granular food or beverage material does not pass through the space (approximately square) per mesh (hole) formed by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines of the mesh, but remains on the mesh.

In this specification, the "fraction that passes through a mesh with an aperture of approximately 0.5 mm" refers to ground, cut, or granulated food or beverage material that passes through the space (approximately square) per mesh (hole) formed by the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines in the mesh with an aperture of approximately 0.5 mm.

In this specification, "approximately 10% or more by weight of particles of approximately 0.5 mm or more" refers to crushed, cut, or granulated food or beverage material that does not pass through the space (roughly square) per mesh (hole) formed by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal lines in the mesh with the above-mentioned "approximately 0.5 mm hole diameter" and remains on the mesh accounts for approximately 10% or more by weight of the entire material.

In this specification, "drying" refers to the operation of reducing the moisture content or increasing the solid content, or the state resulting from that operation, and typically refers to the moisture content of the entire food or beverage decreasing compared to before drying, or the ratio of solids to the total mass of the food or beverage increasing compared to before drying.

In this specification, "dried form" refers to a food or beverage whose total moisture content is approximately 20% or less.

In this specification, "B/A" or "B/A ratio" refers to the ratio of the value of B to the value of A as follows.
(A) the amount of any one of citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with water at room temperature; (B) the amount of the same substance as (A) released when the material is extracted with hot water at about 60° C., the substance being selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose.

In this specification, "the amount of release of the same thing as that selected in (A)" means that, for example, in the calculation of "B/A", if the amount of release of citric acid is selected as (A), then the amount of release of citric acid is selected as (B).

Preferred Embodiments
Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. The embodiments provided below are provided for a better understanding of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the following description. Therefore, it is clear that a person skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications within the scope of the present disclosure in light of the description in this specification. In addition, the following embodiments of the present disclosure can be used alone or in combination.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a texture-maintaining material for food and beverages is provided, and the texture-maintaining material for food and beverages of the present disclosure is characterized by satisfying at least one of the following: (i) it is a pulverized product of food and beverages; (ii) it contains at least about 10% by weight of particles of about 0.5 mm or more; (iii) it is in a form that can be stored for a long period of time; and (iv) it contains a pulverized product derived from a non-edible part of the food and beverages.

When recycling discarded or inedible parts of fresh vegetables as food materials, the biggest challenge is to ensure storage stability and increase added value. In particular, vegetables deteriorate over long periods of storage, so there is a need to effectively utilize the discarded or inedible parts that are produced in large quantities as by-products from processing at vegetable processing plants and the like. The texture-maintaining material for food and beverages disclosed herein can be provided as a material that maintains the texture of the original food and beverages.

To improve the storage quality of vegetables, it is necessary to prevent deterioration due to light and chemical changes, deterioration due to enzymes in the vegetables, and spoilage due to microorganisms. To date, various processing methods such as sterilization, salting, sugaring, and smoking have been put into practical use depending on the characteristics of the processed product required, but drying is the most versatile processing method because it does not require additives, it reduces water activity, it reduces weight, and it can be performed using only drying equipment. Furthermore, when it comes to vegetables, the drying process is also used to preserve the edible parts of vegetables such as radishes.

Dried vegetables are dry and highly absorbent when eaten directly, so they are generally rehydrated in water or hot water, or mixed with a high-moisture material such as juice to make them easier to eat. However, when rehydrated in water and recooked, for example, dried kiriboshi daikon radish strips, although some of the nutrients, flavor and fibrous texture remain, the crisp texture of the original food or drink is lost. In this way, dried fresh foods lose much of the texture that characterizes the original food or drink.

Even large cut pieces such as kiriboshi daikon radish become softened when they absorb water after drying, and are unable to maintain the chewy texture of fresh foods. Dried vegetables that can be rehydrated in water or hot water also end up with a soft texture. In addition, while drying and crushing offers the advantages of high homogeneity, maintaining color and nutrients, and being easy to measure, it also loses the texture of the original fresh food.

In vegetable processing factories, etc., edible parts are collected from washed agricultural products or from the blanched materials to be processed into salads, frozen food ingredients, etc., and by selecting a fraction that is free from hygiene, texture, and taste issues from the inedible parts that are cut and separated during this process, food and beverage ingredients with added value can be obtained. These fractions can also contain nutritional and functional ingredients.

When blanching this fraction, it is desirable to make it into as large a mass as possible in order to prevent the loss of water-soluble nutrients and other components. Blanching inactivates the enzymes inherent in the material, thereby preventing undesirable changes such as discoloration, the development of unpleasant odors, softening, and deterioration of flavor. The most common method of heating is to immerse the material in hot water, but since the degree to which the water temperature drops varies depending on the material's temperature and the amount of immersion, it is desirable to select appropriate conditions. If the time is too long, softening, chemical changes, and component elution will be promoted. For example, it is common to immerse the material in boiling water for about 1 to 10 minutes. After this heat treatment, it is desirable to quickly return the temperature to a low temperature below room temperature in order to prevent chemical changes.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the food or beverage, or a fraction of the inedible portion of the food or beverage after blanching, may be in the form of a pulverized product, a product containing at least about 10% by weight of particles of at least about 0.5 mm, or a product that can be stored for a long period of time. In one embodiment, a product that can be stored for a long period of time may be in the form of a dried product.

In one embodiment, since drying can be performed efficiently when the surface area of the material is large, it is preferable to perform some cutting while the material is wet. In particular, when the shape for long-term storage is to be plate-shaped, shredded, rectangular, disk-shaped, or dice-shaped, it is preferable to cut the material into the desired shape before drying shrinkage. In the material disclosed herein, the shape of the pulverized material derived from the inedible parts can be plate-shaped, shredded, rectangular, disk-shaped, or dice-shaped, but is not limited to these shapes as long as the shape maintains the texture.

To obtain a powdered dried product, the following methods can be used: (1) cutting the product in a wet state to produce a powder; or (2) roughly cutting the product into a shape that is easy to fit into a grinding device, drying the product, and grinding the dried product.

In one embodiment, the drying is not particularly limited as long as it is acceptable as a drying mode for food and beverages, but can be achieved, for example, by drying at about 80°C or less, which allows the food and beverages to be stored for a long time. In one embodiment, the drying method is not particularly limited as long as it is used to dry food and beverages, but known methods such as ventilation drying, natural drying, hot air drying, fluidized bed drying, spray drying, drum drying, low-temperature drying (drying in low-humidity air at about room temperature), vacuum freeze drying (freeze drying), pressure drying, electromagnetic wave drying, sun drying, shade drying, and fluidized bed drying can be used. In any method, the time, temperature, humidity, etc. can be appropriately changed depending on the type and size of the food and beverages, and the desired degree of drying.

In one embodiment, when food or beverage is dried under harsh conditions, rapid browning or excessive shrinkage due to chemical reactions may occur even after blanching, which may affect the quality, so it is preferable to dry the food or beverage under conditions of about 80°C or less, about 75°C or less, about 70°C or less, about 65°C or less, or about 60°C or less. Rapid drying may also cause uneven drying or uneven shrinkage, which may cause deformation of the food or beverage. If the food or beverage is deformed and a closed space is created, it becomes difficult to dry the inside of the closed space, and the risk of microbial contamination increases, so care must be taken not to dry too quickly. In one embodiment, the final dryness may be such that the water activity is sufficiently low and that water is not oriented to cause spoilage, but is not particularly limited as long as it is appropriate as the drying state of the food or beverage. For example, the final dryness may be about 20% or less, about 15% or less, about 12% or less, about 10% or less, about 8% or less, or about 5% or less in terms of moisture content.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a known dry grinding device can be used to pulverize the dried inedible parts. Examples include those that use impact or shear with a blade or impact with a hammer, but are not limited to these as long as they can be used to pulverize foods and beverages. In one embodiment, when using a grinding method that uses a strong shear force such as grinding or a wet grinding method such as an extruder, it is preferable to use a method that does not destroy the tissue structure or deteriorate the texture, as this promotes the destruction of the tissue structure and deteriorates the texture.

In one embodiment, in order to obtain pulverized material of a specific size from non-edible parts of food and beverages, a method of installing a mesh with a certain hole size at the discharge section of the pulverizer, a method of fractionating the pulverized material by passing it through meshes with various hole sizes, a method of fractionating by air resistance, etc. can be used, but is not limited to these as long as it can obtain pulverized material of the desired size. In one embodiment, the material disclosed herein can include material that does not pass through a mesh with a hole size of about 0.5 mm. In another embodiment, the material disclosed herein can include material that passes through a mesh with a hole size of about 1 mm but does not pass through a mesh with a hole size of about 0.5 mm.

In one embodiment, the material of the present disclosure can contain about 10% or more by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.5 mm. As shown in the examples of this specification, it has been found that a material containing about 10% or more of pulverized material with a particle size of 0.5 to 1 mm maintains the texture of the original food material, whereas a material containing about 5% of pulverized material with a particle size of 0.5 to 1 mm has a lower texture evaluation. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inedible part is a cabbage core or a broccoli stem and leaf, and the material of the present disclosure can contain about 10% or more by weight of the dried pulverized material of the inedible part that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.5 mm. In another embodiment, the inedible part is a cabbage core or a broccoli stem and leaf, and the material of the present disclosure can contain about 80% or more by weight of the dried pulverized material of the inedible part that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.3 mm.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when pulverized materials with large particle size are mixed with pulverized materials with small particle size, the chewing sensation at the beginning of chewing is reduced due to the presence of pulverized materials with small particle size, but as chewing continues, the small fractions are washed away in the mouth, providing the texture of the pulverized materials with large particle size.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure can include a fraction that passes through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.5 mm, but does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.3 mm. In another embodiment, the material of the present disclosure can include a fraction that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.3 mm, which is about 80% or more by weight. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure can also include a fraction that passes through a mesh with a pore size of about 0.5 mm, which is about 90% or less by weight.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure may be a cut product of a non-edible part of a food or beverage, for example, a material may be provided in which the core of a cabbage or the stems and leaves of broccoli as a non-edible part of a food or beverage are cut into a material having a thickness of about 1 mm or more. In this case, it is sufficient that the size of any side of the cut product is about 1 mm or more, and preferably, each side size is about 1 mm or more. In another embodiment, when a cut product of a non-edible part of a food or beverage is used, a cut product having a thickness of about 1 mm or more in the growth axis direction of the core or stems and leaves can be used.

In the dried state, the inedible parts can be stored at room temperature, but in order to prevent chemical deterioration, the effects of light, and reorientation of water and volatile components due to partial heating and cooling, it is preferable to store them at the lowest possible temperature under light-shielded, oxygen-shielded, and/or low-humidity conditions. On the other hand, when freezing and storing samples that are not sufficiently dried, changes in shape and fractures due to ice crystal growth may occur, so it is preferable to carry out drying as described elsewhere in this specification. In addition, the shape of dried materials may change during transportation and/or storage due to vibration or pressure, so it is preferable to transport and/or store them in a way that prevents changes in shape.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the dried inedible part is used as a food or drink, in order to impart a texture reminiscent of the original agricultural product, it is preferable to make the material of the present disclosure absorb water and moisten it during or before chewing. As shown in the examples of this specification, it was confirmed that the material returns to the shape of the tissue structure by absorbing water, and gives a crunchy texture reminiscent of or similar to the original agricultural product. This phenomenon is difficult to occur in edible parts that are originally soft, and can be achieved by using inedible parts that have hardness. In one embodiment, the method of absorbing water is not particularly limited, but can be performed, for example, by rehydrating with water, seasoning liquid, or other water-containing foods during cooking processing, or by absorbing water with saliva in the mouth. Rehydration can be performed by immersing in water or hot water, or in those that have been subjected to a seasoning process, or by contacting with other foods and drinks or food and drink materials in a moist state. The soaking time can range from a few seconds to a few hours, but if the amount of liquid is too large or the treatment time is too long, nutrients may leak from the inedible parts of the material, or the material may deteriorate, so the soaking time and amount of liquid used for soaking can be adjusted appropriately depending on the size, shape, and weight of the material.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure can maintain the texture of the original food or drink even if it is dried again after absorbing water once. Therefore, according to the material of the present disclosure, even if the powder of the material of the present disclosure is absorbed and seasoned, mixed with other ingredients, molded, and then dried, a characteristic texture derived from the non-edible part can be provided. This makes it possible to manufacture dried or semi-dried foods by processing the powder of the material of the present disclosure into a rod, plate, disc, sphere, or any other shape. In addition, cut or dried products of non-edible parts can be provided with a texture reminiscent of the original food or drink or similar by absorbing water and seasoning and then drying or semi-drying again. In addition, according to the material of the present disclosure, it is also possible to manufacture dried or semi-dried products by soaking seasoning liquid or the like into the voids from which water has escaped from the dried form of the food or drink or its crushed product.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the material of the present disclosure in a form to be stored for a long time can be cut into a plate, shredded, rectangular, disc, or dice shape, and absorbed water before or after drying to make it moist, and then further cut, deformed by pressure, partially heated, or embedded with another material that has a taste or texture, thereby modifying the characteristics of the material when chewed. Furthermore, by drying the material that has been treated in this way, it can be made into a food or drink that can be stored for a long time.

Therefore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a food or drink obtained by absorbing the texture-maintaining material of the present disclosure, or a food or drink obtained by absorbing a processed molded product of the texture-maintaining material of the present disclosure. In yet another embodiment, it is also possible to provide a processed product obtained by drying such a food or drink.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure can be used as a material for a 3D food printer as a long-term texture-maintaining food ingredient. Until now, no method has been proposed for reproducing the texture of fresh food with materials for 3D food printing, and it is possible to impart not only the nutrition, color, and taste derived from non-edible parts, but also a new texture. The powder of the material of the present disclosure can be spread on a processing table and eaten directly as a dry powder, or it can be absorbed on the table as necessary to give it a texture. In another embodiment, before placing the powder of the material of the present disclosure on the processing table of the 3D food printer, it is also possible to absorb water and deliver it in a paste form. If the water absorption time is short or the particle size is large, and the binding property cannot be ensured, a suspension of disintegrated nata de coco or a thickening stabilizer can be used to promote the binding of the particles, making it easy to deliver and mold. The suspension of disintegrated nata de coco has a weak fiber texture, so that in addition to the chewing feeling of agricultural products, the dietary fiber texture can be enhanced. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a food or drink obtained by mixing the texture-maintaining material of the present disclosure with a suspension of bacterial cellulose can be provided. The powder can be bound by adding a suspension mainly composed of bacterial cellulose such as nata de coco cellulose or a thickening stabilizer, making the resulting food or drink easier to eat. In particular, by adding a suspension mainly composed of nata de coco cellulose, a fibrous texture can be imparted to a paste derived from a dried powder, and the texture of the original vegetable can be reproduced in terms of both the chewiness and fibrous texture. For example, a food or drink obtained by mixing a dried powder of cabbage core with a suspension mainly composed of nata de coco expresses a coleslaw salad-like or sauerkraut-like texture. In addition, this molding method can be used to produce processed foods in the shape of a rod, plate, or sphere, etc., containing the dried powder derived from the discarded vegetable parts. Such a food or drink contains a wealth of dietary fiber, and the texture derived from the vegetables can be felt through the texture.

The material derived from the non-edible parts of the present disclosure as described above can be mixed with other ingredients or materials as necessary during or after water absorption to produce a cooked, seasoned, and shaped food or drink. Furthermore, even if the material derived from the non-edible parts, such as a dried material, is dried again after water absorption, the texture is reproduced when eaten. Therefore, when producing this food or drink, by adding a moisturizing ingredient such as glycerol, sucrose, or trehalose, the re-dried powder does not harden, and the dryness when eaten can be reduced.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the present disclosure that has absorbed water can have an area expansion of about 30% or less when a load of about 1 kgf/cm ² is applied. In one embodiment, the material of the present disclosure is, for example, 10 mg of dry powder (water content about 10%), 20 μL of tap water is dropped under room temperature conditions, and the material is swelled for 5 minutes or more, uniformly dispersed so that the apparent area is 0.5 cm ² , and after pressing at 1 kgf/cm ² for 3 minutes, the powder is crushed and spread, resulting in an apparent area ratio of 130% or less. In the examples of this specification, it has been confirmed that when a load of 500 g is applied, the area ratio is 124% or 125%, while the area ratio is 149% for materials other than the material of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the food or beverage that is the raw material for the texture-maintaining material of the present disclosure is not particularly limited as long as it is a food or beverage that produces inedible parts as a by-product, and examples thereof include vegetables, fruits, grains, mushrooms, potatoes, sugar beets, beans, nuts and seeds, algae, and tea. Examples of inedible parts of each food or beverage include, but are not limited to, the core of cabbage, the stems and leaves of broccoli, the stems and leaves of cauliflower, the base of Chinese cabbage, the base of lettuce, the base of asparagus, the tip or base of burdock petiole, the tip or base of radish petiole, the base of turnip petiole, the tip or base of carrot petiole, the nodes of lotus root, and the base of bamboo shoots. The inedible parts of each food or beverage may be parts that may be discarded at home or at a food or beverage processing site.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for producing a material that maintains the texture of a food or beverage when it absorbs water is provided, the method including a step of processing an inedible portion of the food or beverage into a long-term storage form, and a step of pulverizing the inedible portion in the long-term storage form so that the minimum diameter is at least about 0.5 mm or more.

Inedible parts of food and beverages can be processed as required into a pre-processing sample in a form that can be stored for a long period of time through (1) a washing and separation process to reduce microbial contamination and foreign matter contamination, (2) a cutting process to remove discolored or altered parts, (3) a cutting process to improve the efficiency of heat treatment, physical processing, and drying, (4) a heating process to inactivate endogenous enzymes and sterilize, and/or (5) a cooling process to suppress deterioration due to heating. This pre-processing sample is preferably dried to a moisture content of 20% or less, more preferably 10% or less, and even more preferably 5% or less, using a known drying method used for fresh foods. The drying method can be as described elsewhere in this specification.

The inedible parts of the food or drink that have undergone these processes can be cut into any desired structure and stored for a long time. For example, the cutting can be done in a variety of ways, including thin slices along the axis, cross-sectional slices across the axis, julienned or rectangular shapes, or diced shapes, but is not limited to these. Depending on the cutting method, characteristics such as the size consumed, drying speed, deformation during drying, and degree of loss of nutrients and other components can change, giving the product individual character after re-absorbing water.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inedible portion of the food or drink can be in the form of a dry powder. The powdering may be performed before or after drying. A known method can be used for the pulverization method. As a guideline for the degree of pulverization that can express the texture after re-absorbing water of the dried powder of the present disclosure, the pulverization conditions that have a large ratio (B/A ratio) of the amount of intracellular substances such as organic acids including citric acid and malic acid and glucose dissolved in hot water to the amount of intracellular substances dissolved in water (A) can be mentioned. In the powder, tissues in a state where the cell wall structure is broken and the intracellular substances are easily leaked, and undisintegrated tissues in a state where the cell wall structure is only broken to a limited extent and the intracellular substances are maintained inside the cells are mixed, and when the undisintegrated tissue structure is disintegrated by hot water treatment, this ratio is considered to exceed about 1.0. In one embodiment, the powder of the material of the present disclosure can be a material in which this ratio is preferably greater than about 1.0, and more preferably, it may be greater than about 1.2 or about 1.4. Therefore, in one embodiment, the ratio (B/A ratio) of the amount of the same substance selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose selected from (A) when the material of the present disclosure is extracted with hot water at about 60° C. to the amount of any one substance selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material of the present disclosure is extracted with water at room temperature is at least about 1.0, about 1.1, about 1.2, about 1.3, about 1.4, about 1.5, about 1.6, about 1.7, about 1.8, about 1.9, or about 2.0. In one embodiment, the material of the present disclosure can have a B/A ratio for any one substance selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose that is at least about 1.0.

The present disclosure has been described above by showing preferred embodiments for ease of understanding. Below, the present disclosure will be described based on examples, but the above description and the following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not provided for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or examples specifically described in this specification, but is limited only by the scope of the claims.

(Example 1: Drying and crushing cabbage leaves and cores)
Cabbage leaves were cut into 3 cm cubes with a knife and immersed in tap water. The drained samples were blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, and immediately cooled in ice water after heating. After draining again, about 400 g of the samples were spread thinly on each of four trays in a dryer (SM4S-EH, Kihara Seisakusho) and dried at 60°C until the mass change became constant.

The cabbage was divided vertically into two and only the core was cut out with a knife. It was then blanched in boiling water for one minute, and immediately cooled in ice water after heating. The pieces were cut into cubes of approximately 5 mm square, arranged on a tray, and dried at 60°C in a dryer (SM4S-EH, Kihara Manufacturing) until the mass change was constant.

The broccoli stems were cut out with a knife. They were then blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes, and immediately cooled in ice water after heating. They were then cut into cubes of approximately 5 mm square, arranged on a tray, and dried in a dryer (SM4S-EH, Kihara Manufacturing) at 60°C for 24 hours.

The dried samples were pulverized using a cutter mill grinder (MF 10.1 cutter head, IKA Japan K.K.) and collected as particles passing through a screen mesh with a pore size of 2 mm, 1 mm, or 0.5 mm. For fine pulverization, samples were pulverized at room temperature for 1 minute using a food mill (TML180, Tescom Co., Ltd.) and collected, confirming that almost all of the particles had a particle size of less than 0.3 mm.

(Rating 1)
For each 100 mg of ground product, in order to improve handling, tap water and a puree-like mixture obtained by mixing (1-3), (1-4)-β-glucan and desugared nata de coco (referred to as "nata puree" in this specification: Tokuyasu K., et al. (2021) J. Appl. Glycosci. doi: 10.5458/jag.jag.JAG-2021_0009) were added in a volume ratio of 1:1. A mixture of 250 μL was prepared and allowed to stand at room temperature for 2 hours. After that, one spoonful of this preparation was scooped up with a spatula and chewed in the mouth with four upper and lower incisors. The intensity of the crunchy sound after the first few chews, the intensity of the sound after 100 chews, and the remaining amount of the sample in the mouth after 100 chews were rated on a four-point scale from 0 to 3 (strong 3, weak 2, barely noticeable 1, not noticeable 0). For Onizaki sesame seeds (white), the initial (maximum) score was 3, the remaining value after 100 chews was 1, and the remaining amount was 1. The results are shown in Table 1.

(Evaluation 2: Mesh separation)
250 μL of water was added to 100 mg of each ground product to prepare a solution, which was left to stand at room temperature for 2 hours, and then one spoonful of this preparation was scooped up with a spatula and chewed in the mouth with four upper and four lower incisors in the same manner as in Evaluation 1. The intensity of the crunchy sound made the first few times, the intensity of the sound after 100 chews, and the degree to which the sample remained in the mouth after 100 chews were evaluated on a four-point scale from 0 to 3 (Table 2).

(Example 2: Core length and width)
The cores were collected from the cabbage and the stems from the broccoli. They were treated in boiling water for 2 minutes (cabbage) or 5 minutes (broccoli), then quenched with running water and returned to room temperature. They were then hollowed out in the height direction (vertical direction Lo) or horizontal direction (radial direction Ra) with a cork borer with an inner diameter of 10 mm, and each cylindrical sample was cut into coins with a thickness of 1 mm and dried at 60°C for 16 hours (referred to as "Ra coins" and "Lo coins", respectively).

The cabbage Ra coins shrunk significantly, whereas the Lo coins shrunk only to a limited extent. With broccoli, both types of coins showed slight shrinkage. When these dried pieces were rehydrated with a small amount of tap water and chewed with four upper and four lower incisors, the Ra had a strong fibrous texture similar to that of kiriboshi daikon, whereas the Lo had a crunchy texture (detected as the sound of chewing).

(Example 3: Core shaping)
The core was collected from the cabbage and the stem from the broccoli. They were treated in boiling water for 2 minutes (cabbage) or 5 minutes (broccoli), then quenched under running water and returned to room temperature. The whole was then cut horizontally (in vertical slices) into pieces about 5 mm wide. A pattern was engraved on each piece with a knife and it was dried at 60°C for 16 hours. It was then rehydrated in tap water and chewed with four upper and four lower incisors. It had a crunchy texture (sensed as a sound when chewing) (Figure 1).

(Example 4: Roughly cutting the core)
The core was collected from the cabbage and the stem from the broccoli. They were treated in boiling water for 2 minutes (cabbage) or 5 minutes (broccoli), then quenched under running water and returned to room temperature. They were then cut horizontally (in the height direction) into rings about 2 mm wide. In the case of cabbage, the coin-shaped cut pieces were cut into parallel lines 5 mm wide to obtain strip-shaped samples. These were dried at 60°C for 16 hours, then rehydrated in tap water and chewed with four upper and four lower incisors (Figure 2).

The results showed that these samples had a crunchy texture (detected as the sound of chewing), and in the case of cabbage, it was found that the resulting material had a crunchy texture similar to that of dried daikon radish strips.

Example 5: Powder Molding
1 g of powder derived from cabbage core (sample B in Example 1) was taken and mixed with water or (1-3), (1-4)-β-glucan and desugared nata de coco to obtain a puree-like mixture (referred to as "nata puree" in this specification: Tokuyasu K., et al. (2021) J. Appl. Glycosci. doi: 10.5458/jag.jag.JAG-2021_0009) 2.5 mL, and molded into a plate of about 2 cm wide, 3 cm long, and 5 mm high, and then dried at 60 ° C. In addition, a mixture of nata puree and 6 g of powder in the same mixing ratio was extruded into a rod shape with a 10 mL plastic with a thickened injection part cut, placed on a flat surface of a stainless steel mesh, or placed on a spoon-shaped wire mesh mold and dried at 60 ° C. (FIG. 3). Chewing these provides a crunchy sensation, and the nata puree additive adds a fibrous texture derived from the nata de coco.

(Example 6: Extract Quantification)
The samples used were those prepared in Example 1. Previously mentioned samples are indicated with the same alphabet.

Malic acid and citric acid determination:
After 10 μL of the sample solution was dried in vacuum, 25 μL of an acetone solution with a triethylamine concentration of 15 μL/mL mixed with butyric acid (0.08 μL/mL) as an internal standard was added. After leaving it at room temperature for 10 minutes, 15 μL of an acetone solution with a phenacyl bromide concentration of 30 mg/mL was added, and it was left at 40° C. for 60 minutes. The acetone solution was dried with nitrogen gas, and then 1 mL of acetonitrile was added to prepare an HPLC sample solution.

HPLC conditions were as follows: column Wakopack 5C8 HG (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) 4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm, analysis was performed at room temperature. The detection wavelength was 254 nm, and the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. Solution A: 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 2.0) and solution B: a 7:6 mixture of methanol and acetonitrile were run. Analysis was performed with an initial concentration of solution B of 28% for 5 minutes, linearly increasing the concentration from 55 to 70% over 5 to 21 minutes, and then maintaining it at 70% for 30 minutes. Quantitative values of malic acid and citric acid were calculated from the calibration curve.

Glucose Measurement:
Measurements were made using a commercially available glucose measurement kit (Glucose CII-Test Wako: Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.).
The results are shown in Tables 3 to 5.

(Example 7)
In this example, (D), (E), and (F) in Example 1 are represented as 1, 2, and 3, respectively (1 to 3 in circles in Figures 4 and 5). 10 mg of samples 1 to 3 were taken and placed on a slide glass (4.6 g) in the shape of a disk with a diameter of 8 mm. 20 μL of tap water was dropped onto this sample, and it was allowed to swell at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then, a slide glass was placed on top of the glass so that it overlapped the glass below, and the sample deformation was observed after 5 minutes (A). Then, a 500 g weight was placed on the glass and held for 3 minutes, after which the weight was removed, and the sample deformation was observed after 1 minute (B). Furthermore, two 500 g weights were placed on top of each other on the glass and held for 3 minutes, after which the weights were removed, and the sample deformation was observed after 1 minute (C). Then, three 500 g weights were placed on top of each other on the glass and held for 3 minutes, after which the weights were removed, and the sample deformation was observed after 1 minute (D).

As a result, the spread (area) of the samples is as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In samples 1 and 2, the lateral spread due to compression of the water-swollen samples was suppressed, and some grains maintained their shape. The fact that the grains are difficult to break suggests that strong chewing force is required to break them. In sample 3, the grains spread after treatment B. This suggests that coarse powders are difficult to disintegrate, retain their texture, and require force to chew the grains.

(Example 8: Food and drink processing example 1)
To 40 g of spaghetti salad with ham and vegetables (Yamazaki Co., Ltd., Haibara-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture), 3 g of the cabbage core cut and dried product of Example 4 (stored at room temperature for 70 days in the dark) was added and mixed with twice the amount of water at room temperature for 30 minutes (Figure 6). This food product had a chewy texture derived from the cabbage core when chewed, and a crunchy feeling was felt in the mouth.

(Example 9: Food and drink processing example 2)
To 40 g of bacon potato salad with black pepper and whole grain mustard (Yamazaki Co., Ltd., Asahikawa City, Hokkaido), 3 g of the cut and dried broccoli stems and leaves of Example 4 (stored at room temperature for 70 days in the dark) was added and mixed with twice the amount of water at room temperature for 30 minutes (Figure 7). This food was given a chewy texture derived from the broccoli stems and leaves when chewed, and a crunchy feeling was felt in the mouth.

(Example 10: Food and drink processing example 3)
The condensed materials of the cabbage core-derived material and the broccoli stem and leaf-derived material obtained in Examples 8 and 9 were mixed together in an amount of 1.5 g each, then the mixture was fried on a heated iron plate covered with oil and topped with a sprinkle of salt to produce chewy stir-fried vegetables.

(Example 11: Food and drink processing example 4)
1.00 g of cabbage core powder sample (sample B in Table 1) was mixed with 5.00 g of dried mashed potato flakes (Hokkaido Jaga Mash, Calbee Potato Co., Ltd., Obihiro City, Hokkaido), and then mixed with 20 mL of water. This was covered with plastic wrap on a plate and heated in a microwave oven at 500 W for 30 seconds (Figure 8). This produced a food product in which powder derived from cabbage core, which has a texture similar to mashed potato, was dispersed.

(Note)
Although the present disclosure has been illustrated using the preferred embodiments thereof, it is understood that the present disclosure should be interpreted in scope only by the claims. It is understood that the patents, patent applications, and other documents cited in this specification are incorporated by reference into this specification in the same manner as if the contents themselves were specifically set forth herein.

According to the present disclosure, when discarded parts of fresh vegetables are recycled as food and beverage ingredients, it is possible to provide a material that can be stored for a long time while maintaining its texture. The material according to the present disclosure can be provided in the form of various processed foods without completely losing the texture of fresh foods such as vegetables, making it possible to provide foods and beverages with added value. In particular, it is expected to greatly contribute to expanding the uses of fresh food ingredients, which have been considered unsuitable for next-generation food manufacturing using 3D food printers.

Claims (24)

below:
(i) A ground food or beverage product ;
(ii ) Contains 10 % or more by weight of pulverized material having a size of 0.5 mm to 1 mm ;
(iii) It is in a form that can be stored for a long time, and (iv) It contains a pulverized material derived from a non-edible part of the food or drink, and the non-edible part is a core of cabbage or a stem and leaf part of broccoli.
A texture-maintaining ingredient for food and beverages that satisfies the above requirements. below:
(i) It is a ground product of food or drink.
(ii) Contains 10% or more by weight of material that passes through a mesh with a pore size of 1 mm but does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of 0.5 mm
(iii) is in a form that can be stored for a long period of time; and
(iv) The food or beverage contains a pulverized material derived from a non-edible part of the food or beverage, and the non-edible part is a cabbage core or a broccoli stem and leaf part.
A texture-maintaining ingredient for food and beverages that satisfies the above requirements. 3. The texture-maintaining material according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the material includes a material that passes through a mesh with a hole diameter of 0.5 mm but does not pass through a mesh with a hole diameter of 0.3 mm. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the material contains 80 % or more by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of 0.3 mm. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the material contains a fraction passing through a mesh with a pore size of 0.5 mm of 90% or less by weight. 6. The texture-maintaining material according to claim 1, wherein the material that has been made to absorb water undergoes an area expansion of 30 % or less when a load of 1 kgf/ ^cm2 is applied thereto. The texture-maintaining material according to claim 1 , wherein the form for long-term storage includes a dried form. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the long-term storage form is achieved by drying at 80 °C or lower. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the following value of B/A is at least greater than 1.0.
(A) the amount of any one of citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with water at room temperature; (B) the amount of the same substance as (A) released when the material is extracted with hot water at 60 °C, the substance being selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the pulverized material derived from the inedible parts is in the form of a plate, a shredded shape, a rectangular shape, a disk shape or a dice shape. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the material is a dried, pulverized product of the inedible part. The texture-maintaining material according to claim 11 , comprising 80 % or more by weight of material that does not pass through a mesh with a pore size of 0.3 mm. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the material is a cut product of the inedible part, and includes a cut product having a thickness of 1 mm or more in the growth axis direction of the core or the stem and leaf part. The texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , which is used as a material for a 3D food printer. A food or drink obtained by absorbing the texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 14 . A food or drink obtained by absorbing water from a processed molded material of the texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 14 . A processed product obtained by drying the food or drink according to claim 15 or 16 . A food or drink obtained by mixing the texture-maintaining material according to any one of claims 1 to 14 with a suspension of bacterial cellulose. A process for processing an inedible part of a food or drink into a long-term storage form, the inedible part being a core of a cabbage or a stem and leaf part of a broccoli ;
A step of crushing the inedible portion in a form to be stored for a long period of time so that the minimum diameter is at least 0.5 mm or more.
A step of adjusting the content of crushed material having a size of 0.5 mm to 1 mm to 10% or more by weight;
The method for producing a material that maintains the texture of the food or drink when it absorbs water comprises the steps of: The method according to claim 19 , wherein the material that has absorbed water undergoes an area expansion of 30 % or less when a load of 1 kgf/ ^cm2 is applied thereto. The method of claim 19 or 20 , wherein the long-term storage form comprises a dried form. The method of any one of claims 19 to 21 , wherein the long-term storage form is achieved by drying at 80 °C or below. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 22 , wherein the value of B/A is at least greater than 1.0 .
(A) the amount of any one of citric acid, malic acid, and glucose released when the material is extracted with water at room temperature; (B) the amount of the same substance as (A) released when the material is extracted with hot water at 60 °C, the substance being selected from citric acid, malic acid, and glucose. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23 , wherein the shape of the inedible portion is a plate, a slice, a strip, a disk or a cube.