JP7660339B2 - Oil and fat composition, method for improving food hygiene, and method for producing food - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil and fat composition, a method for improving food hygiene, and a method for producing food.

In recent years, various efforts have been made to reduce food waste. In particular, there is a demand to extend the expiration date of food in order to reduce the disposal of expired food. The expiration date is related to the hygiene of food, and various antibacterial and bacteriostatic agents have been added to food to improve the hygiene of food. For example, ethanol, salts, short-chain fatty acids, medium-chain fatty acids and their derivatives have been added. Among these, monoglycerides and polyglycerin esters of caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid are known to have considerable antibacterial properties, but have a problem of poor flavor. Patent Document 1 proposes a method of improving flavor by using polyglycerin fatty acid esters of caprylic acid, capric acid, etc. in combination with tea extract instead of monoglycerides of caprylic acid and capric acid.

Special Publication No. 04-065669

However, the bacteriostatic agent containing polyglycerol fatty acid ester used in the examples of Patent Document 1 was evaluated in an aqueous phase not containing fats and oils, and the tea extract used simultaneously with the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is also a water or alcohol extract, and is therefore poorly oil-soluble. These components are viscous pastes or solids, and in order to add them to food, they need to be diluted with water or alcohol to form a low-viscosity liquid. For this reason, the bacteriostatic agent of Patent Document 1 is limited to use in aqueous systems, and there are problems with some foods, such as the food becoming watery or absorbing water and swelling, so there has been a demand for an oil composition containing a bacteriostatic agent with good flavor that can be used in oil systems.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an oil and fat composition that contains a bacteriostatic agent and has a suppressed flavor of the bacteriostatic agent. It also aims to provide an oil and fat composition that improves the hygiene of food. It also aims to provide a method for improving the hygiene of food that contains a bacteriostatic agent but has a suppressed flavor of the bacteriostatic agent. It also aims to provide a method for producing food that contains a bacteriostatic agent but has a suppressed flavor of the bacteriostatic agent.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides the following oil and fat composition, method for improving food hygiene, and method for producing food.

[1] An oil composition containing a bacteriostatic agent and a polyglycerol ester,
The bacteriostatic agent is a glycerol mono-fatty acid ester and/or a polyglycerol mono-fatty acid ester having one or more constituent fatty acids selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid,
The oil and fat composition comprises a polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an HLB of 2.5 to 7.5 and a constituent fatty acid having 14 to 24 carbon atoms and/or a polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester, and the polyglycerol ester is contained in the following amount (A) or (B) relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
(A) When the bacteriostatic agent is a glycerol monofatty acid ester and/or a diglycerol monofatty acid ester and the polyglycerol ester is solely a polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an HLB of 2.5 to 7.5 and a constituent fatty acid having 14 to 24 carbon atoms, the amount of the polyglycerol ester is 0.2 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
(B) When the bacteriostatic agent is a decaglycerol monofatty acid ester and the polyglycerol ester is only a polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester, the amount of the polyglycerol ester is 0.2 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
(C) In cases other than (A) and (B) above, the amount is 0.5 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
[2] The oil or fat composition according to [1], wherein the content of the bacteriostatic agent in the oil or fat composition is 0.2 to 30% by mass.
[3] The oil or fat composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the mass ratio of the bacteriostatic agent to the polyglycerol ester is 1:0.5 to 1:5.
[4] The oil or fat composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the bacteriostatic agent is one or more selected from the group consisting of glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate, diglyceryl monocaprylate, diglyceryl monocaprate, glyceryl monolaurate, and diglyceryl monolaurate.
[5] The oil and fat composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the oil and fat composition has a bacteriostatic effect on food.
[6] The oil or fat composition according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the oil or fat composition is used for noodles, rice, or dressings.
[7] A method for improving the hygiene of food, comprising adding any one of the oil and fat compositions according to [1] to [6] to food.
[8] A method for producing a highly hygienic food, comprising the step of adding the oil or fat composition according to any one of [1] to [6] above to a food.

According to the present invention, an oil and fat composition in which the flavor of a bacteriostatic agent is suppressed can be obtained, and by using this oil and fat composition, foods with good flavor and high hygiene can be produced. In the present invention, the term "oil and fat composition in which the flavor of a bacteriostatic agent is suppressed" refers to an oil and fat composition in which the flavor is suppressed compared to an oil and fat composition in which the same amount of a bacteriostatic agent is blended, but which does not contain the polyglycerol ester described below. In addition, the flavor refers to an unpleasant taste such as a pungent taste.

The present inventors have found that an oil composition containing a bacteriostatic agent and a specific polyglycerol ester in a specific ratio can improve the flavor of the bacteriostatic agent. Based on this finding, the present inventors have completed the oil composition, the method for improving the hygiene of food, and the method for producing food of the present invention.

The oil composition of the present invention and the method for producing the same are described in detail below. In the embodiments of the present invention, A (number) to B (number) mean A or more and B or less.

<Oil and fat composition>
The oil composition of the present invention contains a bacteriostatic agent and a polyglycerol ester.

(bacteriostatic agent)
In the present invention, the bacteriostatic agent is a glycerin mono-fatty acid ester and/or a polyglycerin mono-fatty acid ester, which has one or more constituent fatty acids selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. The constituent fatty acid with fewer carbon atoms has a worse flavor, and the lower the degree of polymerization of polyglycerin, the worse the flavor, so the polyglycerin ester described below has a high flavor improvement effect. Therefore, as the bacteriostatic agent, one or more selected from glyceryl monocaprylate, glyceryl monocaprate, diglyceryl monocaprylate, diglyceryl monocaprate, glyceryl monolaurate, and diglyceryl monolaurate are preferred. These can be commercially available products. They can also be produced by esterification of glycerin or polyglycerin with a fatty acid, or by transesterification of glycerin, polyglycerin, and fatty acid methyl ester, etc. The degree of polymerization of polyglycerin is preferably 2 to 30, more preferably 2 to 12, and even more preferably 2. Furthermore, the monoesters of glycerin, diglycerin, and triglycerin may be used after their purity has been increased by distillation or the like.

Polyglycerol fatty acid esters that have been purified to a high degree by molecular distillation or the like can be used, but since those with a degree of polymerization of 4 or more are generally difficult to isolate, a mixture of polyglycerol fatty acid esters with various degrees of polymerization is acceptable.

In the present invention, the degree of polymerization of polyglycerin in polyglycerin mono fatty acid esters and polyglycerin esters (polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters) described below means the average degree of polymerization of the polyglycerin portion, and is expressed as the average polymerization number of glycerin in the polyglycerin. For example, diglycerin in which three glycerins are bonded (polymerized) has a degree of polymerization of 2, and decaglycerin in which ten glycerins are bonded (polymerized) has a degree of polymerization of 10.

In order to enhance the bacteriostatic effect of the oil composition, the bacteriostatic agent is preferably present in the oil composition at 0.2% by mass or more, and is preferably present at 30% by mass or less in order to enhance the fluidity of the oil composition and the oil-solubility (hydrophobicity) function. The content of the bacteriostatic agent in the oil composition is more preferably 0.2 to 10% by mass, even more preferably 0.2 to 5% by mass, even more preferably 0.2 to 2% by mass, and most preferably 0.5 to 1.5% by mass.

(Polyglycerol ester)
In the present invention, the polyglycerol ester is a polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an HLB of 2.5 to 7.5 and a constituent fatty acid having 14 to 24 carbon atoms, and/or a polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester. These polyglycerol esters are used to suppress the flavor of a bacteriostatic agent. When the bacteriostatic agent is a glycerol monofatty acid ester or a polyglycerol monofatty acid ester having a low degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol portion, the effect of suppressing the flavor of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is inferior. On the other hand, when the bacteriostatic agent is a polyglycerol monofatty acid ester having a high degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol portion, the effect of suppressing the flavor of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is high. Therefore, the following contents (A) to (B) are used depending on the type of the bacteriostatic agent and the polyglycerol ester.
(A) When the bacteriostatic agent is a glycerol monofatty acid ester and/or a diglycerol monofatty acid ester and the polyglycerol ester is solely a polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an HLB of 2.5 to 7.5 and a constituent fatty acid having 14 to 24 carbon atoms, the amount of the polyglycerol ester is 0.2 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
(B) When the bacteriostatic agent is a decaglycerol monofatty acid ester and the polyglycerol ester is only a polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester, the amount of the polyglycerol ester is 0.2 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.
(C) In cases other than (A) and (B) above, the amount is 0.5 times or more by mass relative to the bacteriostatic agent.

The preferred mass ratio of the bacteriostatic agent to the polyglycerol ester is 1:0.5 to 1:5, more preferably 1:0.7 to 1:3, and even more preferably 1:0.7 to 1:2.

The polyglycerol fatty acid ester used as the polyglycerol ester has an HLB value of 2.5 to 7.5. The lower the HLB value, the higher the flavor suppression effect of the bacteriostatic agent. In addition, a certain level of hydrophilicity is required to dissolve or disperse the bacteriostatic agent in fats and oils. Therefore, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester used has an HLB value of 2.5 to 7.5, preferably 2.5 to 5.0, and more preferably 3 to 4. HLB is an abbreviation for Hydrophile Lipophile Balance, and is an index for knowing whether an emulsifier is hydrophilic or lipophilic, and takes a value of 0 to 20. The smaller the HLB value, the stronger the lipophilicity. In the present invention, the calculation method of the Atlas method is used to calculate the HLB value. The calculation method of the Atlas method is as follows:
HLB=20×(1-S/A)
S: Saponification value
A: This refers to a method for calculating the HLB value from the neutralization value of the fatty acid in the ester. Hereinafter, the term HLB in this specification refers to the HLB calculated by the Atlas method.

The polyglycerol fatty acid ester is a polyglycerol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acids have 14 to 24 carbon atoms, and more preferably, whose constituent fatty acids have 16 to 20 carbon atoms. It is a polyglycerol fatty acid ester. If the constituent fatty acids are fatty acids having 12 or less, the flavor of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester becomes poor. However, if the constituent fatty acids other than fatty acids having 14 to 24 carbon atoms are small in amount, the flavor of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is not significantly affected, and the bacteriostatic agent also has a flavor improving effect. Therefore, in the present invention, if the constituent fatty acids other than fatty acids having 14 to 24 carbon atoms are 20% by mass or less, the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is considered to be a polyglycerol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acids have 14 to 24 carbon atoms. The constituent fatty acids other than fatty acids having 14 to 24 carbon atoms are preferably 10% by mass or less, and more preferably 2% by mass or less.

Fatty acids having 14 to 24 carbon atoms are preferably myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, behenic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, etc. In order to increase the fluidity of the polyglycerol fatty acid ester, it is preferable that 50% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms, and it is more preferable that the unsaturated fatty acids are oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and erucic acid. From the viewpoint of oxidation stability, oleic acid and erucic acid are even more preferable. For example, oleic acid ester of diglycerin, oleic acid ester of pentaglycerin, oleic acid ester of decaglycerin, etc. can be used.

The polyglycerol fatty acid ester is not particularly limited, but the degree of polymerization of the polyglycerol is preferably 2 to 30, more preferably 2 to 12, and even more preferably 2 to 6.

The polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester used as the polyglycerol ester is an ester of ricinoleic acid condensed with polyglycerol. The properties of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester are largely due to the contribution of condensed ricinoleic acid, so there are no particular limitations on the HLB value or polymerization degree of the polyglycerol. Commercially available polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid esters can be used. Although not particularly limited, the HLB of the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is preferably 2 to 7.5, and more preferably 2 to 6. The polymerization degree of the polyglycerol in the polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester is not particularly limited, but the polymerization degree of the polyglycerol is preferably 2 to 30, more preferably 2 to 12, and even more preferably 2 to 6.

(Oils and fats)
The oil and fat composition is preferably used not only as a medium for widely distributing the bacteriostatic agent on the surface and/or inside of food, but also contains a certain amount of oil and fat to prevent adhesion between foods or between a food and a container. The oil and fat composition preferably contains 55% by mass or more of oil and fat, preferably 70% by mass or more, and preferably 90% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 99.7% by mass or less.

As the oils and fats used in the oil and fat composition of the present invention, vegetable oils and medium-chain fatty acid-containing oils in which medium-chain fatty acids are esterified or transesterified to form constituent fatty acids can be used. Examples of vegetable oils include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and the like, as well as fractionated oils and mixed oils thereof. Among these, oils and fats that are liquid at 20°C are particularly preferred. In addition, oils and fats that are liquid and have high acid value stability are preferred, and examples thereof include high oleic rapeseed oil, high oleic safflower oil, high oleic soybean oil, high oleic sunflower oil, medium chain fatty acid triglyceride (MCT), and palm olein.

The fats and oils used in the fat and oil composition of the present invention are preferably refined oils, but unrefined oils or semi-refined oils can be used as part of the fat and oil as long as the flavor is not impaired. The proportion of refined oil in the fat and oil composition is preferably 95% by mass or more, more preferably 98% by mass or more, and most preferably all of the fat and oil is refined oil.

(Other ingredients)
Other components can be added to the oil and fat composition of the present invention to the extent that the effect of the present invention is not impaired. The other components are, for example, components (such as food additives) used in general oil and fat. These components include, for example, emulsifiers, antioxidants, crystal regulators, texture improvers, etc., and are preferably added to refined oil and fat.

Examples of emulsifiers include monoglycerides and polyglycerol fatty acid esters, excluding the bacteriostatic agents and polyglycerol esters. Other examples include sucrose fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, polysorbates, lecithin, etc.

Examples of antioxidants include tocopherols, ascorbic acids, flavone derivatives, kojic acid, gallic acid derivatives, catechin and its esters, butterbur acid, gossypol, sesamol, and terpenes.

<Uses of the oil composition>
The oil and fat composition of the present invention can be used as a spray oil, release oil, frying oil, oil and fat for dressing, rice cooking oil, etc., used in the production process of food. It is particularly preferably used as an oil and fat that improves the handling properties of foods containing a lot of starch, such as noodles and rice, during cooking and eating, and is also preferably used in the oil and fat portion of dressings.

<Methods for improving food hygiene and food manufacturing methods>
In the present invention, the hygienic nature of food can be improved by adding the above-mentioned oil and fat composition to food.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(sample)
The samples used in the examples are as follows.
Refined rapeseed oil (canola oil: manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd.)
Bacteriostatic agent 1 (glyceryl monocaprylate: manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)
Bacteriostatic agent 2 (Diglyceryl monocaprylate: prototype)
Bacteriostatic agent 3 (Diglyceryl monolaurate: manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)
Bacteriostatic agent 4 (Decaglyceryl monolaurate: manufactured by Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.)
Emulsifier 1 (pentaglyceryl trioleate: manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., HLB 7)
Emulsifier 2 (polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid ester: manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)
Emulsifier 3 (propylene glycol monostearate: manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)

(Flavor rating 1)
Oil and fat compositions were obtained by blending the compositions in Table 1. Ten in-house expert panelists put each oil and fat composition in their mouths and evaluated the "irritating taste" according to the following criteria (Reference Example 1 was given 1 point, and Reference Examples 1 and 2 were given 5 points), and the average scores are shown in Table 1. For each value, the smaller the value, the more improved the "irritating taste" was, with 5 points being rated as no improvement (x), less than 5 points or more than 3 points being rated as a slight improvement (△), and 3 points or less being rated as a considerable improvement (◯).
[Stimulating taste]
1 point: No irritating taste (same irritating taste as in Reference Example 1).
2 points. The pungent taste is significantly reduced.
3 points: The pungent taste is mitigated.
4 points: The pungent taste is slightly mitigated.
5 points: A strong irritating taste is felt (the irritating odor is equal to or stronger than that of Reference Example 1-2).

The results in Table 1 show that Examples 1-1 to 1-3 all had a reduced irritating taste compared to Reference Example 1-2.

(Flavor Evaluation 2)
Oil and fat compositions were obtained by blending according to the composition shown in Table 2. Ten in-house expert panelists put each oil and fat composition in their mouths and evaluated the taste "irritating taste" according to the following criteria (Reference Example 1 was given 1 point, Reference Example 2-2 was given 5 points), and the average scores are shown in Table 2. For each value, the smaller the value, the more improved the "irritating taste," with 5 points being rated as no improvement (x), less than 5 points or more than 3 points being rated as a slight improvement (△), and 3 points or less being rated as a considerable improvement (◯).
[Stimulating taste]
1 point: No irritating taste (same irritating taste as in Reference Example 1).
2 points. The pungent taste is significantly reduced.
3 points: The pungent taste is mitigated.
4 points: The pungent taste is slightly mitigated.
5 points: A strong irritating taste is felt (the irritating odor is equal to or stronger than that of Reference Example 2-2).

The results in Table 2 show that Examples 2-1 to 2-3 all had a reduced irritating taste compared to Reference Example 2-2.

(Flavor rating 3)
Oil and fat compositions were obtained by blending according to the composition shown in Table 3. Ten in-house expert panelists put each oil and fat composition in their mouths and evaluated the taste "irritating taste" according to the following criteria (Reference Example 1 was given 1 point, Reference Example 3-2 was given 5 points), and the average scores are shown in Table 3. For each value, the smaller the value, the more improved the "irritating taste" was, with 5 points being rated as no improvement (x), less than 5 points or more than 3 points being rated as a slight improvement (△), and 3 points or less being rated as a considerable improvement (◯).
[Stimulating taste]
1 point: No irritating taste (same irritating taste as in Reference Example 1).
2 points. The pungent taste is significantly reduced.
3 points: The pungent taste is mitigated.
4 points: The pungent taste is slightly mitigated.
5 points: A strong irritating taste is felt (the irritating odor is equal to or stronger than that of Reference Example 3-2).

The results in Table 3 show that Examples 3-1 and 3-2 all had a reduced irritating taste compared to Reference Example 3-2.

(Flavor rating 4)
Oil and fat compositions were obtained by blending according to the composition shown in Table 4. Ten in-house expert panelists put each oil and fat composition in their mouths and evaluated the taste "irritating taste" according to the following criteria (Reference Example 1 was given 1 point, Reference Example 4-2 was given 5 points), and the average scores are shown in Table 3. For each value, the smaller the value, the more improved the "irritating taste" was, with 5 points being rated as no improvement (x), less than 5 points or more than 3 points being rated as a slight improvement (△), and 3 points or less being rated as a considerable improvement (◯).
[Stimulating taste]
1 point: No irritating taste (same irritating taste as in Reference Example 1).
2 points. The pungent taste is significantly reduced.
3 points: The pungent taste is mitigated.
4 points: The pungent taste is slightly mitigated.
5 points: A strong irritating taste is felt (the irritating odor is equal to or stronger than that of Reference Example 4-2).

The results in Table 4 show that Examples 4-1 and 4-2 all had a reduced irritating taste compared to Reference Example 4-2.

(Flavor rating: 5)
Oil and fat compositions were obtained by blending according to the composition shown in Table 5. Ten in-house expert panelists put each oil and fat composition in their mouths and evaluated the taste "irritating taste" according to the following criteria (Reference Example 1 was given 1 point, Reference Example 5-2 was given 5 points), and the average scores are shown in Table 3. For each value, the smaller the value, the more improved the "irritating taste" was, with 5 points being rated as no improvement (x), less than 5 points or more than 3 points being rated as a slight improvement (△), and 3 points or less being rated as a considerable improvement (◯).
[Stimulating taste]
1 point: No irritating taste (same irritating taste as in Reference Example 1).
2 points. The pungent taste is significantly reduced.
3 points: The pungent taste is mitigated.
4 points: The pungent taste is slightly mitigated.
5 points: A strong irritating taste is felt (the irritating odor is equal to or stronger than that of Reference Example 5-2).

The results in Table 5 show that Examples 5-1 and 5-2 all had a reduced irritating taste compared to Reference Example 5-2.

(Flavor rating 6)
Commercially available raw noodles ("Mushiyakisoba" manufactured by Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.) were boiled for 1 minute 30 seconds, cooled in water, and then the water was separated. The oil and fat compositions of Reference Example 2-2 and Example 2-1 were applied (sprayed) to the noodles in an amount of 3 mass % to obtain sample noodles. Each sample noodle was eaten by 10 in-house expert panelists, who were asked to select the sample with the strongest stimulation using a two-point discrimination method. All panelists selected the sample noodle sprayed with Reference Example 2-2.

The above results show that the food product using the oil and fat composition of Example 2-1 had an improved flavor compared to Reference Example 2-2, which contained the same amount of bacteriostatic agent.

(Hygiene evaluation)
Commercially available raw noodles ("Mushiyakisoba" manufactured by Toyo Suisan Co., Ltd.) were boiled for 1 minute 30 seconds, cooled in water, and then the water was separated. A bacterial solution (Pseudomonas aeruginosa: NBRC number "13275" National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) was diluted 10 times and 10 ml was applied (sprayed) to 50 g of noodles. Furthermore, the oil and fat compositions of Reference Example 1 and Example 1-1 were applied (sprayed) to the noodles at 2 mass % to obtain sample noodles. After storage for 4 days (10°C), 2 g of noodles were placed in 18 ml of physiological saline, crushed, and cultured (standard agar medium, 35°C, 24 hours), and the number of bacteria was counted. The results are shown in Table 6.

The results in Table 6 show that Example 1-1 has a bacteriostatic effect.

Claims (5)

An oil and fat composition for use in food, comprising a bacteriostatic agent and a polyglycerol ester, wherein the bacteriostatic agent is glyceryl monocaprylate, the polyglycerol ester has an HLB of 2.5 to 7.5, contains no more than 20% by mass of fatty acids other than fatty acids having 14 to 24 carbon atoms, and is composed solely of polyglycerol fatty acid esters in which 50% by mass or more of the constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms , and the mass ratio of the bacteriostatic agent to the polyglycerol ester is 1:0.5 to 1:3 (excluding an oil and fat composition containing 92% by mass of liquid oil and fat, 2% by mass of lecithin, 5% by mass of diglycerol oleate, and 1% by mass of diglycerol laurate). The oil or fat composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the bacteriostatic agent in the oil or fat composition is 0.2 to 30% by mass. The oil or fat composition according to claim 1 or 2 , which is used for noodles, rice, or dressings. A method for improving the hygiene of food, comprising adding the oil or fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 to the food. A highly hygienic method for producing food, comprising the step of adding the oil or fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 to food.