JP7626596B2 - Food quality improver for fried foods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a quality improver for fried foods.

As consumer tastes become more diverse, the variety of fried foods is also expanding. Traditionally, fried foods are time-consuming to prepare at home because they require large amounts of frying oil, but a wide variety of products such as donuts, corn dogs, nuggets, fritters, fried chicken, tempura, and fried noodles are manufactured and sold by various companies, and their convenience and ease of use have made them a widespread part of people's diets. Recently, convenience stores have also begun to sell frozen foods, as well as donuts and hot snacks cooked in-store. As sales channels expand in this way, consumer demand for fried foods is also increasing, and companies are focusing on developing products with a wide variety.

On the other hand, fried foods tend to have a relatively higher oil content than other foods because they are cooked with oil, and many consumers have the impression that they are high in calories. In addition, if the oil content in fried foods is high, they are more likely to deteriorate during distribution and storage, which may affect the taste, etc. Furthermore, if fried foods absorb a lot of oil, more frying oil is consumed, which is also a factor in increasing costs for confectionery and bakery manufacturers and frozen food manufacturers that mass-produce fried foods. Therefore, in order to develop higher quality fried foods and respond to consumer health consciousness, it is necessary to reduce the oil content in fried foods, and there is a demand for technology that suppresses the absorption of oil from frying oil by fried foods during the frying process.

Technologies disclosed for suppressing oil absorption from frying oil in foods fried in a deep-frying process include, for example, an oil absorption inhibitor that contains an alginic acid ester (Patent Document 1) and a powdered oil absorption inhibitor that contains an alginic acid ester (Patent Document 2).

However, even with the above technology, the effect of suppressing oil absorption from frying oil in fried foods during the frying process is not necessarily sufficient, and there is a demand for technology that further suppresses oil absorption.

JP 2000-236821 A JP 2002-209531 A

The present invention aims to provide a quality improver for fried foods that suppresses absorption of oil from frying oil during the frying process.

As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems could be solved by coating the alginate ester with an oil-soluble substance, and developed the present invention based on this finding.

That is, the present invention provides
(1) A powdered quality improver for fried foods, comprising alginic acid ester-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance;
(2) A fried food containing the quality improver for fried foods according to (1).
It consists of:

By incorporating the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention into fried foods, the absorption of oil from the frying oil during the frying process is suppressed.

The alginate ester used in the present invention is an alginate in which propylene glycol is ester-bonded to the carboxyl group of the uronic acid that constitutes alginic acid, and it is sufficient that at least a portion of the carboxyl group is ester-bonded. Generally, since the properties of alginate ester, such as viscosity, vary depending on the molecular weight, degree of esterification, etc., it is necessary to select an appropriate type depending on the application, but in the present invention, there are no particular restrictions on the type that can be used.

The degree of esterification of the alginate ester is not particularly limited, but is preferably 70% or more, more preferably 80% or more. The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the alginate ester at 20°C (hereinafter referred to as the 1% by mass aqueous solution viscosity) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 to 500 mPa·s, more preferably 10 to 300 mPa·s. The particle size of the alginate ester is not particularly limited, but is preferably 95% by mass or more of the alginate ester is not larger than the size that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 1000 μm, more preferably not larger than the size that passes through a sieve with a mesh size of 500 μm. The esterification degree, 1% by mass aqueous solution viscosity, and particle size of the alginate ester can be the values published by each manufacturer. In the present invention, only one type of alginate ester may be used, or any two or more types may be used in combination.

As alginic acid esters, for example, Kombu Acid 501 (trade name; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 150 to 250 mPa·s; particle size, 180 μm mesh size, 95% by mass or more; manufactured by Kimica), Kimiroid NLS-K (trade name; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 30 to 60 mPa·s; particle size, 425 μm mesh size, 95% by mass or more; manufactured by Kimica), Kimiroid MV (trade name; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 100 to 150 mPa·s; particle size, 355 μm mesh size, 95% by mass or more; manufactured by Kimica), etc. are commercially available, and these can be used in the present invention.

The oil-soluble substance used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is easily dissolved in oil-soluble components such as fats and oils and is edible, and may be in a liquid, paste, solid, powder, or other form at room temperature. Examples of oil-soluble substances include fats and oils, emulsifiers, plant sterols, and fat-soluble vitamins, with fats and oils being preferred. In the present invention, only one type of oil-soluble substance may be used, or any two or more types may be used in combination.

Examples of fats and oils include vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, processed fats and oils, and medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides. Examples of vegetable fats and oils include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, high oleic rapeseed oil, high oleic safflower oil, high oleic corn oil, and high oleic sunflower oil. Examples of animal fats and oils include lard, beef tallow, fish oil, milk fat, and butter. Examples of processed fats and oils include those that have been fractionated, hydrogenated, transesterified, or otherwise treated with these animal and vegetable fats and oils. Examples of medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides include caproic acid triglyceride, caprylic acid triglyceride, capric acid triglyceride, and lauric acid triglyceride.

Examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, lecithin, and the like, which are easily soluble in oil-soluble components such as fats and oils. Some emulsifiers are amphiphilic, so as long as they are easily soluble in oil-soluble components such as fats and oils, they may also be soluble in water-soluble components. Glycerin fatty acid esters include esters of glycerin and fatty acids, as well as, for example, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters. Examples of glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters include glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, glycerin lactate fatty acid esters, glycerin citric acid fatty acid esters, glycerin succinate fatty acid esters, and glycerin diacetyltartarate fatty acid esters. Examples of polyglycerin fatty acid esters include diglycerin fatty acid esters and polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate esters.

Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin K, etc., and their derivatives. Vitamin E includes α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol, δ-tocotrienol, and their derivatives such as acetate esters.

The alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance used in the present invention refer to powdered particles in which a coating layer of an oil-soluble substance is formed on part or all of the surface of the alginate ester, and may contain a base component described below in addition to the alginate ester and the oil-soluble substance. Here, powdered refers to a property including granular (the same applies below). There are no particular restrictions on the particle size of the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance, but for example, it is preferable that 95% by mass or more of the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance are equal to or smaller than the size that passes through a sieve with an opening of 1210 μm.

The content of alginate in the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance is preferably 0.1 to 20% by mass, more preferably 1 to 10% by mass. The content of the oil-soluble substance in the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance is preferably 0.5 to 30% by mass, more preferably 1 to 20% by mass. The mass ratio of the alginate to the oil-soluble substance (alginate/oil-soluble substance) in the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance is preferably 0.05 to 20, more preferably 0.2 to 10.

In the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance used in the present invention, a base component may be contained to facilitate particle formation. Examples of the base component include starch, dextrin, sugars, sugar alcohols, stabilizers, sodium caseinate, phosphates, etc., and starch and dextrin are preferably used. Examples of starch include corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, modified starch, etc. Examples of sugars include glucose, fructose, sucrose, granulated sugar, lactose, maltose, trehalose, palatinose, xylose, etc. Examples of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, etc. Examples of stabilizers include agar, gelatin, pectin, carrageenan, curdlan, mannan, alginic acid, alginates, polysaccharides, soybean polysaccharides, celluloses, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, tara gum, tragacanth gum, gellan gum, and gum arabic.

The method for producing the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that can form a coating layer of the oil-soluble substance on a part or all of the surface of the alginate ester. A method of coating only the alginate ester with the oil-soluble substance may be used, or a method of coating the mixed composition of the alginate ester and the base component with the oil-soluble substance may be used. Examples of such methods include a method of adding an oil-soluble substance while stirring the alginate ester charged in an agitation type mixer granulator, a method of adding an oil-soluble substance while stirring the mixed composition of the alginate ester and the base component charged in an agitation type mixer granulator, a method of adding an alginate ester and an oil-soluble substance to an extrusion granulator, a method of adding a mixed composition of the alginate ester and the base component and an oil-soluble substance to an extrusion granulator, and a method of further pulverizing the particles obtained by these methods. If the oil-soluble substance is in a paste, solid, powder, or the like at room temperature, the oil-soluble substance may be added while heating the device such as a granulator during stirring, if necessary.

The quality improver for fried foods of the present invention may be used as a powder formulation by itself using only the alginate-containing particles coated with an oil-soluble substance obtained as described above, or may be prepared as a mixed powder formulation by mixing any component within a range that does not inhibit the effects of the present invention. Examples of such optional components include those used for the purpose of trituration, excipient, flow agent, etc., and include starch, dextrin, sugars, sugar alcohols, sodium caseinate, phosphates, talc, celluloses, etc. Examples of starch include corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, processed starch, etc. Examples of sugars include glucose, fructose, sucrose, granulated sugar, lactose, maltose, trehalose, palatinose, xylose, etc. Examples of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, etc. There are no particular limitations on the method for preparing the mixed powder formulation, and any known method such as powder mixing can be used.

There are no particular limitations on the method of using the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention, so long as it can be added to fried foods before frying, and examples of the method include adding it directly in the process of preparing the dough or batter used in the fried foods described below, and adding it in advance to powdered raw materials among the raw materials for the dough or batter used in the fried foods.

The amount of the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention used can be adjusted so that the amount of alginate ester is preferably 0.01 to 10 parts by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total of the flour and starch contained in the dough or batter used in the fried foods.

Fried foods containing the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention are also an embodiment of the present invention.

The fried food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is made of dough or batter containing cereal flour or starch and is processed on the premise of frying, and may be a product before heating in the frying process or a product heated through the frying process. For example, donuts, fried confectionery, nuggets, fritters, corn hot dogs, tempura, fried chicken, cutlets, croquettes, fries, fried noodles, fried balls, etc. can be mentioned. Donuts can include cake donuts, yeast donuts, curry donuts, crullers, sata andagi, churros, etc. Fried confectionery can include karinto, karinto manju, fried manju, snacks, etc. Nuggets can include chicken nuggets, fish nuggets, etc. Cutlets can include minced meat cutlets, pork cutlets, beef cutlets, chicken cutlets, shrimp cutlets, etc. Croquettes can include potato croquettes, cream croquettes, etc. Examples of fried foods include fried shrimp, fried fish, fried oysters, and fried squid. Of these, foods in which dough or batter is fried as is include donuts, karinto, snacks, fried noodles, and fried tempura. Foods in which food ingredients are wrapped in dough and fried include donuts, karinto manju, and fried manju. Foods in which batter is applied to food ingredients and then fried include nuggets, fritters, corn dogs, tempura, and fried chicken. Foods in which batter and breadcrumbs are applied to food ingredients and then fried include cutlets, croquettes, and fries.

The fried food of the present invention is preferably one in which the dough or batter used in the fried food has not been heat-treated by a boiling process, steaming process, baking process, or the like prior to the fried food process. Examples of such fried foods include doughnuts, karinto, snacks, nuggets, fritters, corn dogs, tempura, deep-fried chicken, cutlets, croquettes, fries, and fried tempura bits. Of these, doughnuts, nuggets, fritters, corn dogs, tempura, deep-fried chicken, and the like are more preferred.

The dough used in the fried food of the present invention refers to a composition having shape retention obtained by mixing and stirring powdered raw materials mainly made of grain flour or starch with liquid raw materials such as water, and examples thereof include doughnut dough, karinto dough, manju dough, noodle dough, etc. The batter liquid used in the fried food of the present invention refers to a composition obtained by mixing and stirring powdered raw materials mainly made of grain flour or starch with liquid raw materials such as water, and has a liquid or paste-like form that is relatively more fluid than dough, and examples thereof include batter liquid for nuggets, batter liquid for fritters, batter liquid for corn dogs, batter liquid for tempura, batter liquid for deep-fried chicken, batter liquid for cutlets, batter liquid for croquettes, batter liquid for fries, etc.

The raw materials for the dough or batter liquid used in the fried food of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they contain flour or starch. In addition to flour and starch, examples of the raw materials that can be generally used in fried foods include water, oils and fats, egg products, dairy products, sugars, sugar alcohols, yeast, leavening agents, sweeteners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorants, antioxidants, seasonings, and flavorings. The flour is not particularly limited as long as it is made by processing grains into a powder, and examples of the flour include wheat flour, barley flour, rye flour, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, potato flour, sweet potato flour, and tapioca flour. Examples of starch include corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, and processed starch.

A premix can be used as a raw material for the dough or batter used in the fried food of the present invention. There are no particular limitations on the premix, so long as it is a composition in which some of the raw materials for the dough or batter used in the fried food are premixed, and the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention can also be premixed. Examples of premixes include premixes for donuts, premixes for buns, premixes for noodles, premixes for batters, premixes for tempura, and premixes for fried chicken.

For the fried food of the present invention, food materials can be used that can be wrapped in dough or have a batter liquid applied to the surface, such as meat, seafood, vegetables, etc., processed products thereof, fillings such as curry, bean paste, cream, jam, etc., breadcrumbs, etc.

The frying oil used when frying the fried food of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples include frying oils that can be generally used for fried foods, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, corn oil, olive oil, and sesame oil. Frying oils that contain food additives such as antioxidants and silicones may also be used.

The method for producing fried foods of the present invention can employ a method generally used for fried foods, and examples thereof include a method comprising a preparation step, a processing step, and a frying step of the dough or batter liquid used in fried foods. The preparation step of the dough or batter liquid used in fried foods can include, for example, a step of putting powdered raw materials such as grain flour or starch and liquid raw materials such as water into a mixer and mixing until homogenous. If necessary, a fermentation step, a maturation step, a hydration step, etc. can also be used. Examples of the processing step include, for example, dividing and shaping the dough obtained in the preparation step, and a step of attaching the batter liquid obtained in the preparation step to a food material. Examples of the frying step include, for example, a step of putting the fried food into frying oil heated in a fryer or the like. In the case of fried foods that float on the surface of the frying oil, the food can be inverted and fried on both sides. The temperature of the frying oil during the frying process is adjusted as appropriate depending on the size of the food to be fried, the type of food ingredients, etc., but is usually 130 to 210°C, and preferably 140 to 190°C. The frying time (the total time for frying both sides in the case of foods that float in the frying oil) is adjusted as appropriate depending on the size of the food to be fried, the type of food ingredients, etc., but is usually 0.5 to 30 minutes, and preferably 1 to 15 minutes.

In the method for producing fried foods of the present invention, a refrigeration step and a freezing step can be performed before or after the frying step. In the refrigeration step, for example, the fried food is placed in a refrigerator and stored at preferably 10°C or less, more preferably 5°C or less. In the freezing step, for example, the fried food is placed in a freezer and quickly frozen to -35°C or less, and then preferably stored at -18°C or less.

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

[Preparation of quality improver for fried foods]
(1) Raw materials 1) Alginic acid ester A (product name: Kombu acid 501; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 150 to 250 mPa·s; particle size 180 μm mesh pass 95% or more; manufactured by Kimika Co., Ltd.)
2) Alginate ester B (trade name: Kimiroid NLS-K; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 30 to 60 mPa·s; particle size 425 μm mesh pass 95% by mass or more; manufactured by Kimica Co., Ltd.)
3) Rapeseed oil (product name: Rapeseed oil; manufactured by Boso Oil Co., Ltd.)
4) Hardened rapeseed oil (product name: extremely hardened rapeseed oil; manufactured by Yokoseki Oil and Fat Industries Co., Ltd.)
5) Medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride (product name: Actor M-1; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
6) Emulsifier A (product name: Poem DO-100V; diglycerol oleate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
7) Emulsifier B (product name: Poem DS-100A; diglycerol stearate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
8) Cornstarch (product name: Cornstarch CD-Y; manufactured by Oji Cornstarch Co., Ltd.)

(2) Method for producing quality improver for fried foods 1) Prototype 1
At room temperature, 15 g of alginate A and 270 g of corn starch were added to an agitation type mixer granulator (model: HF-GS-2J; manufactured by EarthTechnica Corporation), and the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes under conditions of a horizontal rotary blade (agitator) of 400 rpm and a vertical rotary blade (chopper) of 1200 rpm to prepare an alginate ester mixed composition. Thereafter, while stirring under the same conditions, 15 g of rapeseed oil was added, and the mixture was further stirred under the same conditions for 10 minutes to coat the alginate ester mixed composition with rapeseed oil, thereby obtaining 267 g of a quality improver for fried foods.

2) Prototype 2
The jacket of the stirring mixer granulator was heated to 80°C, and the raw materials were added and stirred in a preheated state of the stirring mixer granulator. Except for changing the rapeseed oil to hardened rapeseed oil, 205 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as Prototype 1.

3) Prototype 3
Except for changing the rapeseed oil to a medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride, 262 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as in Prototype 1.

4) Prototype 4
Except for changing the amount of corn starch to 225 g and the amount of rapeseed oil to 60 g, 150 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as in Prototype 1.

5) Prototype 5
Except for changing the amount of corn starch to 283.5 g and the amount of rapeseed oil to 1.5 g, 287 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as in Prototype 1.

6) Prototype 6
Except for changing the amount of cornstarch to 269.25 g and further adding 0.75 g of emulsifier A together with alginate A and cornstarch, 286 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as in Prototype 1. Prototype 6 had good fluidity and good powder quality.

7) Prototype 7
Except for changing the amount of cornstarch to 281.85 g, further adding 0.15 g of emulsifier A together with alginate A and cornstarch, and changing the amount of rapeseed oil to 3 g, 289 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as Prototype 1. Prototype 7 had good fluidity and good powder quality.

8) Prototype 8
288 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained in the same manner as in Prototype 7, except that alginate ester A was changed to alginate ester B. Prototype 8 had good fluidity and good powder quality.

9) Prototype 9
The jacket of the stirring type mixer granulator was heated to 80°C, and the raw materials were added and stirred while the stirring type mixer granulator was already heated, the amount of corn starch was changed to 246 g, and 24 g of emulsifier B was further added together with alginate ester A and corn starch. In the same manner as prototype 1, 210 g of a quality improver for fried foods was obtained.

10) Prototype 10
At room temperature, 15 g of alginate A and 285 g of corn starch were charged into an agitation type mixer granulator (model: HF-GS-2J; manufactured by EarthTechnica Corporation) and agitated for 10 minutes under conditions of a horizontal rotary blade (agitator) of 400 rpm and a vertical rotary blade (chopper) of 1200 rpm, to obtain 285 g of an improver for fried foods.

The contents (mass%) and mass ratios (alginate ester/oil-soluble substance) of various raw materials in the quality improver for fried foods are shown in Table 1.

[Preparation of doughnuts and evaluation of oil absorption inhibition]
(1) Ingredients 1) Strong flour (product name: AUTION; manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd.)
2) Weak flour (product name: Violet; manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd.)
3) White sugar (product name: refined white sugar ST; manufactured by Dainippon Meiji Sugar Co., Ltd.)
4) Table salt (product name: refined salt; manufactured by Japan Salt Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)
5) Shortening (product name: Emblem; manufactured by Miyoshi Oil Co., Ltd.)
6) Baking powder (product name: BPO#1; manufactured by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)
7) Whole egg (product name: Excel Egg; manufactured by Kewpie Corporation)
8) Water 9) Quality improver for fried foods (Prototypes 1-10)
10) Alginic acid ester A (trade name: Kombu acid 501; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 150 to 250 mPa·s; particle size 180 μm mesh pass 95% or more; manufactured by Kimika Co., Ltd.)
11) Alginate ester B (trade name: Kimiroid NLS-K; degree of esterification 75% or more; viscosity of 1% by mass aqueous solution 30 to 60 mPa s; particle size 425 μm pass 95% by mass or more; manufactured by Kimica Co., Ltd.)
12) Rapeseed oil (product name: rapeseed oil; manufactured by Boso Oil Co., Ltd.)
13) Emulsifier A (product name: Poem DO-100V; diglycerol oleate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
14) Emulsifier B (product name: Poem DS-100A; diglycerol stearate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
15) Cornstarch (product name: Cornstarch CD-Y; manufactured by Oji Cornstarch Co., Ltd.)

(2) How to make donuts 1) Donuts 1 to 10
60g of strong flour, 140g of soft flour, 100g of white sugar, 0.6g of salt, 8g of baking powder, 2g of quality improver for fried food (trial product 1), 14g of shortening, 30g of whole egg, and 100g of water were put into a 5-quart mixer (product name: Mixer N50; manufactured by Hobart Co.), which had been mixed homogeneously in advance, and the mixture was stirred at 1st speed for 60 seconds using a beater for the mixer, and then further stirred at 2nd speed for 120 seconds to prepare a doughnut dough, which was then divided into 35g pieces using a doughnut cutter. The dough was then put into frying oil (product name: Americana DX-TL; manufactured by ADEKA Co.) heated to 180°C, fried for 80 seconds, then inverted, fried for another 70 seconds, and removed to a draining tray. The mixture was left at room temperature for 30 minutes to obtain doughnut 1. Using a similar method, the quality improver for fried foods (trial product 1) was replaced with a quality improver for fried foods (trial products 2 to 10), respectively, to obtain donuts 2 to 10, respectively.

2) Donut 11
Donut 11 was obtained in the same manner as donut 1, except that the 2 g of quality improver for fried food (prototype 1) was replaced with 0.1 g of alginate ester A and 1.795 g of corn starch, and 0.1 g of rapeseed oil and 0.005 g of emulsifier A were further added.

3) Donut 12
Donut 12 was obtained in the same manner as Donut 1, except that 2 g of the quality improver for fried food (Prototype 1) was replaced with 0.1 g of alginate ester A and 1.879 g of corn starch, and 0.02 g of rapeseed oil and 0.001 g of emulsifier A were further added.

4) Donuts 13
Donut 13 was obtained in the same manner as donut 12, except that alginate ester A was changed to alginate ester B.

5) Donut 14
100g of water and 0.16g of emulsifier B were placed in a 500ml stainless steel mug, heated with stirring using a three-one motor (model: BL600; manufactured by HEIDON), stirred for 10 minutes after reaching 60°C, and left at room temperature for 2 hours to obtain a diglycerol stearate solution. 60g of strong flour, 140g of weak flour, 100g of white sugar, 0.6g of salt, 8g of baking powder, 0.1g of alginate A, 1.64g of cornstarch, 14g of shortening, 30g of whole egg, 0.1g of rapeseed oil, and the entire amount of the diglycerol stearate solution were added to a 5-quart mixer (product name: Mixer N50; manufactured by Hobart), which had been homogeneously mixed in advance, and stirred at 1st speed for 60 seconds using a mixer beater, and then further stirred at 2nd speed for 120 seconds to prepare a doughnut dough, which was then divided into 35g pieces using a doughnut cutter. Then, the dough was placed in frying oil (trade name: Americana DX-TL; manufactured by ADEKA) heated to 180° C. and fried for 80 seconds, then turned over, fried for another 70 seconds, and removed from the oven onto a draining tray. The dough was left at room temperature for 30 minutes to obtain donut 14.

(3) Method for preparing a donut not containing an alginic acid ester (hereinafter referred to as a control donut) A control donut was obtained in the same manner as donut 1, except that 2 g of the quality improver for fried foods (prototype 1) was not added.

(4) Method for evaluating oil absorption inhibition The mass (g) of each type of donut and one control donut obtained above was measured, and the oil absorption rate (%) was calculated using the following formula: The average oil absorption rate (%) of each type of donut and 10 control donuts was calculated, and the oil absorption inhibition rate (%) indicating the degree to which each type of donut inhibits oil absorption compared to the control donut was calculated using the following formula.

The oil absorption inhibition evaluation is indicated by symbols according to the following criteria.
[symbol]
◎: Oil absorption inhibition rate (%) is 22 or more. ○: Oil absorption inhibition rate (%) is 19 or more and less than 22. △: Oil absorption inhibition rate (%) is 16 or more and less than 19. ×: Oil absorption inhibition rate (%) is less than 16.

The content (parts by mass) of each ingredient per 100 parts by mass of wheat flour in each type of doughnut, the oil absorption inhibition rate (%), and the oil absorption inhibition evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

From Table 2, it can be seen that donuts 1 to 9, which use the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention (prototypes 1 to 9), have a greater oil absorption inhibitory effect than donuts 10 to 14, which use alginate ester as is without coating it with an oil-soluble substance. In addition, when comparing donuts 6 and 11, donuts 7 and 12, donuts 8 and 13, and donuts 9 and 14, which are made of the same type and content of raw materials, donuts 6, 7, 8, and 9 were evaluated as having oil absorption inhibition of "△", "×", "×", and "×", respectively, whereas donuts 6, 7, 8, and 9, which used the quality improver for fried foods of the present invention, were evaluated as having oil absorption inhibition of "◎", "◎", "〇", and "◎", respectively, which were all improved. This shows that coating the alginate ester with an oil-soluble substance suppresses the absorption of oil from the frying oil of fried foods during the fried process. Among donuts 1 to 9, donut 9, which contains emulsifier B, was crisp and had a good texture.

Claims (3)

A powdered quality improver for fried foods containing alginate ester-containing particles coated with one or more oil-soluble substances selected from the group consisting of fats and oils and emulsifiers , wherein the alginate ester-containing particles contain 5 to 20 mass % of the alginate ester and 0.5 to 30 mass % of the oil-soluble substance, the degree of esterification of the alginate ester is 70% or more, and a 1 mass % aqueous solution of the alginate ester has a viscosity of 150 to 250 mPa·s at 20°C. A powdered quality improver for fried foods containing alginate ester-containing particles coated with one or more oil-soluble substances selected from the group consisting of fats and oils and emulsifiers, wherein the mass ratio of the alginate ester to the oil-soluble substance (alginate ester/oil-soluble substance) is 0.2 to 10, the alginate ester-containing particles contain 0.1 to 20 mass% of the alginate ester and 0.5 to 30 mass% of the oil-soluble substance, the degree of esterification of the alginate ester is 70% or more, and a 1 mass% aqueous solution of the alginate ester has a viscosity of 150 to 250 mPa·s at 20°C. 3. A fried food comprising the quality improver for fried foods according to claim 1 or 2 in a dough or batter used for the fried food , the dough or batter containing 0.05 to 10 parts by mass of the alginate ester per 100 parts by mass of the total of flour and starch contained in the dough or batter used for the fried food .