JP7606307B2 - Food containing myoga and method for producing food containing myoga - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a food containing myoga and a method for producing a food containing myoga.

In recent years, in response to consumer demand for hassle-free cooking, there has been active development of time-saving food products. For example, when cooking with aromatic vegetables such as garlic and ginger, they are primarily chopped or grated before use, which is inconvenient for many consumers. To save time and effort, products have been launched on the market in which the vegetables are pre-chopped or grated and then squeezed out and packaged in tube containers.

On the other hand, myoga (scientific name: Zingiber mioga) is a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family native to East Asia, and has long been a familiar herb in Japan. The parts of the plant that are used for food are the inflorescences and young stems and leaves, and they are ingredients that allow you to enjoy their unique aroma and bitterness. For example, they are used in cooking as garnishes, condiments, pickles, vinegared dishes, soups, simmered dishes, etc., and in addition to imparting myoga's unique aroma and bitterness, their reddish-purple color adds visual color.

As an idea for shortening cooking time when using myoga as an ingredient, for example, the following Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-10679) describes sealing chopped myoga and green onions in bags and freezing them.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-10679

However, according to the research of the present inventors, when myoga is processed into shreds and packed into containers for serving, the color of the myoga fades over time, making it difficult to achieve a stable color in processed foods.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a food containing myoga and a method for producing a food containing myoga that suppresses fading of the color of the myoga.

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that by adjusting the raw material mixture of a food product containing myoga to a low pH, it is possible to stabilize the color of myoga and inhibit discoloration, thus completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a myoga-containing food product that contains myoga and a pH adjusting substance, has a pH of 3.6 or less, and is packed in a container.

In the above-mentioned food products containing myoga, it is preferable that the main ingredient is myoga.

It is also preferable that the above-mentioned food containing myoga further contains an antioxidant.

In addition, it is preferable that the viscosity of the above-mentioned food containing myoga is 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25°C.

On the other hand, in another aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a food product containing myoga, the method comprising the steps of preparing a raw material mixture containing myoga and a pH adjusting substance and having a pH of 3.6 or less, and filling the raw material mixture into a container.

In the above-mentioned method for producing a food product containing Japanese ginger, it is preferable that the main ingredient of the raw material mixture is Japanese ginger.

In addition, in the above-mentioned method for producing a food containing myoga, it is preferable that the raw material mixture further contains an antioxidant.

In addition, in the method for producing the food containing myoga, it is preferable that the raw material mixture has a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25°C.

According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the fading of the color of myoga in a food product containing myoga that is packed in a container and provided.

1 is a photograph of the tubed myoga-containing food prepared in Test Example 1, when the food was subjected to a discoloration evaluation after storage at room temperature. Photographs showing the change in color of the tube-packed myoga-containing food prepared in Test Example 2 before and after storage at room temperature.

The myoga used in the present invention may be any myoga that is edible, and there are no particular limitations on the place of origin, variety, harvest time, etc. For example, it may be flower myoga using the inflorescence, or it may be myoga mushroom cultivated to soften the leaves. Fresh myoga may be used as the raw material, or it may be myoga raw material that has been frozen, dried, salted, or otherwise processed and stored for a certain period of time. The shape may be any of the usual cooking and processing forms, and there are no particular limitations on the form, such as chopped, julienned, sliced, finely chopped, grated, crushed, or pasted.

The Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention may contain ingredients other than Japanese ginger, and there is no particular limit to the type or number of ingredients. Examples of such ingredients include sugars, salt, seasonings, alcohol preparations, sugar alcohols, vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, and flavorings. However, in order to obtain the effect of suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger, it is necessary to contain a pH adjusting substance and adjust the pH to 3.6 or less. The pH adjusting substance may be any substance that is acceptable for consumption, such as citric acid, acetic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, adipic acid, itaconic acid, phosphoric acid, glacial acetic acid, and glucono-delta-lactone. Alternatively, the pH adjusting substance may be an edible material that can substantially adjust the pH of the Japanese ginger-containing food, such as pickled plums, pickled plums, and fruit juice. The pH adjusting substance may be one type, or two or more types.

The low pH adjustment to obtain the effect of suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger can be performed by preparing a raw material mixture containing at least Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance and having a pH of 3.6 or less. To efficiently perform this low pH adjustment, processing such as mixing, stirring, soaking, etc. can be performed. Although it is not possible to say in general depending on the equipment and processing amount, for example, if stirring or soaking is performed, it is preferable to perform the processing of stirring or soaking for 1 minute or more. In this case, there is no particular restriction on the order of addition of the pH adjusting substance, as long as the final pH of the Japanese ginger-containing food is within the above range. That is, for example, the pH can be measured and evaluated in the state of the raw material mixture just before filling it into a container. The pH may be 3.6 or less as described above, or may be in the range of pH 2.8 to 3.6, or may be in the range of pH 3.0 to 3.6.

In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, it is preferable that the main ingredient of the myoga-containing food of the present invention is myoga. Here, "main ingredient" means that the myoga is contained in an amount of 20% to 99.9% by weight, or 40% to 80% by weight, or 50% to 70% by weight. In this case, when a material prepared in a dried state such as whole, flake, powder, salted, etc. is used as the ingredient, the wet weight, that is, the value of the myoga in fresh form, is used. Specifically, for example, according to the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, myoga has a moisture content of 95.6 to 97.1%, so such a value can be used to convert to fresh form. In addition, in the product, myoga can be confirmed as the main ingredient by the fact that myoga is listed first to third in the list of ingredients, excluding additives, on the packaging container as specified by the Food Labeling Act.

In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the myoga-containing food of the present invention may further contain a thickener. This allows, for example, filling the food into a squeeze tube container and imparting a suitable viscosity for squeezing the food out of the container. Examples of thickeners include gums such as xanthan gum, tamarind gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, and gellan gum, and starch and processed starch that impart viscosity. The content of the thickener may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 0.05% to 1.0% by mass, or in the range of 0.05% to 0.7% by mass, or in some cases in the range of 0.05% to 0.3% by mass, based on the wet weight of the myoga-containing food.

In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, it is preferable that the Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention further contains an antioxidant. This can further enhance the effect of suppressing the fading of the color tone of Japanese ginger. The antioxidant may be any substance that generally prevents the oxidation of food, and there is no particular limitation on the type. Examples of antioxidants that are acceptable for consumption include enzyme-treated rutin, bayberry extract, phytic acid, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, rosemary extract, tocopherol, etc. The content of the antioxidant may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 0.05% to 0.5% by mass, or in the range of 0.05% to 0.4% by mass, or in the range of 0.05% to 0.3% by mass, based on the wet weight of the Japanese ginger-containing food.

In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the Japanese ginger-containing food of the present invention may further contain starch or modified starch. This can impart a suitable viscosity for filling a squeeze tube container and squeezing it out of the container. Examples of modified starch include hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl starch, acetylated adipate crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, octenyl succinate starch, acetate starch, oxidized starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphorylated starch, or phosphate crosslinked starch. The content of modified starch may be adjusted as appropriate, but typically may be in the range of 1% to 30% by weight, or 1% to 20% by weight, or 1% to 10% by weight, based on the wet weight of the Japanese ginger-containing food.

In any embodiment not limited to the present invention, the myoga-containing food of the present invention preferably has a water activity of 0.9 to 0.98, more preferably 0.94 to 0.98. The water activity can be calculated by the dew point method.

In any embodiment not limited by the present invention, the myoga-containing food of the present invention preferably has a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25°C. The viscosity may be, for example, in the range of 100 to 400 Pa·s, or in the range of 200 to 400 Pa·s. The viscosity may be measured by a conventional method, for example, using a B-type viscometer TVB10 manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., rotor No. M4, rotor rotation speed 1.5 rpm, and at 25°C ± 2°C.

The myoga-containing food of the present invention is preferably filled, packaged, and sealed in a container with high gas barrier properties, such as a jar, sachet, pouch, tube, or bottle. This allows the contents to remain fresh for a longer period of time. It is also preferable to fill the food in a squeeze tube container and package it with a small head space. This allows the contents to be pushed out by pressing the side of the container when in use, allowing the user to dispense an appropriate amount, making it easier to use without any hassle.

As explained above, the present invention can suppress discoloration of myoga in myoga-containing foods by adjusting the raw material mixture to a low pH. The effect of suppressing discoloration can be evaluated, for example, by visually examining the color change from reddish purple to white or colorless in cases where low pH adjustment has been performed and not performed, and comparing the state after a certain period of time has passed. Furthermore, the effect of suppressing discoloration by adding an antioxidant can be evaluated by comparing cases where an antioxidant is added and cases where it is not added.

The reddish purple hue of myoga is not limited, but can be evaluated, for example, based on whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c18 at hue 10RP of the Munsell color solid, whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c22 at hue 2.5RP, whether the lightness is v4 to v9 and the chroma is c6 to c18 at hue 5R, or whether it exhibits a hue close to these.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the following examples. However, these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

<Test Example 1>
A tube-packed food containing Japanese ginger was prepared using the ingredients shown in Table 1. Specifically, the ingredients were mixed, squeezed out and filled into a tube container, and an aluminum piece was welded to the outlet of the contents to seal it. The aluminum piece was then opened to simulate use, and the cap was tightened and stored at room temperature with the cap facing up. After one week and two weeks, the color fading was visually confirmed and scored according to the evaluation criteria shown below. The pH of the raw material mixture was measured when it was prepared.

(Fading evaluation)
1: Compared to the unopened sample, the color of the myoga has completely faded (the whole product is white).
2: Not completely discolored compared to the unopened sample, but about 80% white. 3: Compared to the unopened sample, it retains the color of myoga, but discoloration is noticeable. 4: The color is roughly the same as the unopened sample, but some discoloration can be seen when compared side by side. 5: The color is roughly the same as the unopened sample.

The results are shown in the lower part of Table 1 and in Figure 1.

As a result, the following became clear:

(1) In Comparative Example 1, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.91, discoloration was observed after one week, and the discoloration became even more noticeable after two weeks.
(2) In Example 1, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.25, after one week, some areas of the contents in the container showed discoloration, but most of the areas of the contents in the container maintained approximately the same color as the unopened sample, and even after two weeks, the color of myoga was maintained over a relatively wide area of the contents in the container.
(3) In Example 2, in which the pH of the raw material mixture was adjusted to pH 3.50, after one week, some areas of the contents in the container showed discoloration, but a relatively large area of the contents in the container maintained almost the same color as the unopened sample, and even after two weeks, the color of myoga was maintained in about 40% of the contents in the container.

From the above, it became clear that foods containing myoga will discolor if they are simply filled into a container and capped, and that this discoloration can be suppressed by low pH treatment.

<Test Example 2>
Using the ingredients shown in Table 2, a tube-packed food product containing myoga was prepared, and in the same manner as in Test Example 1, a discoloration evaluation was performed after storage at room temperature.

The results are shown in the lower part of Table 2 and Figure 2.

As a result, the following became clear:

(1) As seen in Examples 3 and 4, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and enzyme-treated rutin was added, the color was maintained almost the same as that of the unopened sample even after two weeks.
(2) As seen in Examples 5 to 7, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and phytic acid or chlorogenic acid was added, even after two weeks, some color loss was observed, but the color was maintained at almost the same level as that of the unopened sample.
(3) As can be seen from a comparison between Examples 8 and 9 and Examples 10 and 11, when the raw material mixture was adjusted to a low pH and was mixed with bayberry extract and ascorbic acid, even after two weeks, some color loss was observed, but the color was maintained at almost the same level as that of the unopened sample.

From the above, it was revealed that foods containing myoga will discolor if they are simply filled into a container and capped, and that this discoloration can be suppressed by adjusting the pH of the raw material mixture to a low level. However, it was also made clear that discoloration can be suppressed more effectively by adding substances with antioxidant properties, such as enzyme-treated rutin, phytic acid, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, and bayberry extract.

Claims (6)

The myoga-containing food is characterized in that it contains myoga and a pH adjusting substance, has a pH of 3.6 or less , and has a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25° C. , and is filled in a container. The myoga-containing food according to claim 1, the main ingredient of which is myoga. The food containing myoga according to claim 1 or 2, further containing an antioxidant. A method for producing a Japanese ginger-containing food product, comprising: a step of preparing a raw material mixture containing Japanese ginger and a pH adjusting substance, the raw material mixture having a pH of 3.6 or less and a viscosity of 10 to 400 Pa·s at 25°C; and a step of filling the raw material mixture into a container. The method for producing a food containing Japanese ginger according to claim 4 , wherein the main raw material of the raw material mixture is Japanese ginger. The method for producing a food containing ginger according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the raw material mixture further contains an antioxidant.