JP7707532B2 - Paste-like food composition and method for producing liquid food using the paste-like food composition - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a paste-like food composition and a method for producing a liquid food using the paste-like food composition.

Korean cuisine such as Sundubu and ramen soup are liquid foods that have the appearance of oil floating on the surface and have an oily flavor when eaten.

Bechamel sauce, curry sauce, white stew, etc. are known as liquid foods in which fats and oils are uniformly suspended in water. In these liquid foods, it is required that the fats and oils can be maintained in a suspended state without being separated from the water. Patent Document 1 describes a containerized liquid or paste-like food composition for providing a liquid food in which fats and oils are uniformly suspended by cooking with water. The food composition of Patent Document 1 contains non-gelatinized starch, fats and oils, and water, and is characterized in that it contains 2 mass% or more of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of 50 μm or less. Patent Document 1 describes that the food composition has good dispersibility in water. By dispersing non-gelatinized starch particles and fine oil droplets, when cooking with water, the non-gelatinized starch particles can be more smoothly diluted and dispersed in water, and a uniformly suspended liquid food can be prepared.

The method of producing mayonnaise, a typical example of an oil-in-water emulsified food, involves applying shear to make the oil droplets that form the dispersed phase as small as possible, thereby maintaining the oil in suspension with the aqueous phase that forms the continuous phase and stabilizing the emulsified state. Mayonnaise achieves the above-mentioned form as an oil-in-water emulsion with a maximum oil content of about 80% by mass.

JP 2019-61 A

One or more embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a food composition useful as a base material for preparing liquid foods that, when heated in water, have the appearance of oil floating on the liquid surface, such as Sundubu and ramen soup. Such food compositions are required to have both the contradictory properties of preventing separation of oil during production or storage, and the property of causing the oil to float when cooked. The invention described in Patent Document 1 and other documents for miniaturizing oil droplets to achieve uniform dispersion of oil droplets in an aqueous system, and the conventional method for mayonnaise, can produce food compositions that do not separate oil during storage, but cannot impart the property of causing the oil to float when cooked.

The present inventors have completed the following invention as a means for achieving the above object.
The present invention provides a paste-like food composition having a suspension-like viscosity, which contains water, fats and oils, and a viscosity adjuster. The composition contains a specific amount of fats and oils, and the content of fats and oils that form oil droplets having a particle size within a specific range is specified, thereby making it possible to achieve both the ability to prevent the fats and oils from separating during production or storage and the ability to float the fats during cooking.
(1) A paste-like food composition in a suspension form comprising water, an oil and fat, and a viscosity modifier, the oil and fat being in a dispersed state,
The oil or fat comprises 5 to 40% by mass,
The oil and fat contains 35% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of less than 50 μm, 45% by mass or more of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm, and 25% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of more than 100 μm, relative to the total amount of the oil and fat,
The paste-like food composition is characterized in that its viscosity at 25°C is 200 to 10,000 mPa·s.
(2) The paste-like food composition according to (1), comprising as the viscosity adjuster one or more selected from the group consisting of starch, agar, carrageenan, gellan gum, furcellaran, gelatin, pectin, curdlan, locust bean gum, tara gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, alginic acid, alginates, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, cassia gum, psyllium seed gum, tamarind gum, CMCNa, CMCCa and whey protein.
(3) The paste-like food composition according to (2), comprising 5 to 50% by mass of non-gelatinized starch as the viscosity adjuster.
(4) A paste-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (3), comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of sugar, dairy products, vegetable powder, salt and powdered seasonings.
(5) A paste-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising an emulsifier.
(6) A paste-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (5), which is in a heat-treated container.
(7) A method for producing a liquid food, comprising heating a mixture containing the paste food composition according to any one of (1) to (6) and water, and/or mixing the paste food composition according to any one of (1) to (6) and heated water.

The paste-like food composition according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is useful as a base material for preparing liquid foods that are inhibited from separating oils and fats during storage and that, when heated in water, have the appearance of oil floating on the liquid surface.

FIG. 1 is an example of an observation image for measuring the particle size of oil droplets.

<Paste-like food composition>
The paste-like food composition according to one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises:
A paste-like food composition in a suspension form comprising water, an oil and fat, and a viscosity modifier, the oil and fat being in a dispersed state,
The oil or fat contains 5 to 40% by mass,
The oil and fat contains 35% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of less than 50 μm, 45% by mass or more of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm, and 25% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of more than 100 μm, relative to the total amount of the oil and fat,
It is characterized by having a viscosity at 25°C of 200 to 10,000 mPa·s.
In the food composition, the term "suspension" refers to a dispersion system in which "solids" such as fats and oils other than water and viscosity modifiers are dispersed in "water". The dispersion includes both a state in which insoluble starch, etc. is dispersed in water and a state in which water-soluble dextrin, sugar, etc. are dissolved in water. To obtain a suspension, it is desirable for the insoluble solids other than fats and oils to be in the form of powder or granules.
The food composition is capable of suppressing separation of the oil phase and the aqueous phase during production or storage, and of forming a liquid food in hot water with oil droplets floating on the liquid surface.

As the fat or oil, animal fats and oils such as beef tallow, lard, and fish oil, vegetable fats and oils such as soybean oil, corn oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil, and olive oil, and processed fats and oils such as diacylglycerol, butter, and margarine can be used. The fat or oil may be a mixture of multiple types of fat or oil. The fat or oil may be an emulsified fat or oil such as fresh cream or oil that has been emulsified with an emulsifier. The fat or oil may be flavored. The type and melting point of the fat or oil can be adjusted so that the viscosity of the food composition at 25°C falls within a predetermined range and so that the fat floats during cooking.

By having the fat/oil content in the food composition be 5 to 40% by mass, separation of the oil and water phases during storage is suppressed, and when combined with hot water, a liquid food with oil floating on the liquid surface can be formed.

The fat/oil content in the food composition is more preferably 10% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 15% by mass or more. When the fat/oil content is 10% by mass or more or 15% by mass or more, more preferable oil floating can be achieved when a liquid food is formed.

The fat/oil content in the food composition is more preferably 30% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 25% by mass or less. When the fat/oil content is 30% by mass or less or 25% by mass or less, a food composition with particularly high storage stability is easily obtained. The fat/oil content specified in the present invention is calculated from the fat/oil content contained in the fat/oil composition, such as fat/oil or processed fat/oil, in the food composition.

In addition to the above characteristics, the food composition contains the oil and fat in a state where the oil droplets are dispersed, and contains 35% by mass or less of oil and fat that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm, 45% by mass or more of oil and fat that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm, and 25% by mass or less of oil and fat that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of more than 100 μm, relative to the total amount of the oil and fat. This suppresses separation of the oil phase and the aqueous phase during production or storage, and makes it possible to form a liquid food with oil floating on the liquid surface when combined with hot water. If the amount of oil and fat that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm exceeds 35% by mass, it is difficult to achieve sufficient oil floating in hot water. In other words, when combined with hot water, the oil droplets tend to be dispersed in a uniformly suspended state. If the amount of oil and fat that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of more than 100 μm exceeds 25% by mass, separation of the oil phase and the aqueous phase during production or storage of the food composition is likely to proceed.

In the food composition, the proportion of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of less than 50 μm relative to the total amount of fats and oils is 35% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 28% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 20% by mass or more.

In the food composition, the proportion of fats and oils forming oil droplets having a particle size exceeding 100 μm is 25% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 8% by mass or less, relative to the total amount of fats and oils.

The ratio of fats and oils forming oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm to the total amount of fats and oils in the food composition can be defined as the remainder obtained by subtracting from 100 mass% the ratio (mass%) of fats and oils forming oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm and the ratio (mass%) of fats and oils forming oil droplets with a particle diameter of more than 100 μm, and can be 45 mass% or more, more preferably 50 mass% or more, and even more preferably 60 mass% or more. The upper limit of the ratio of fats and oils forming oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm to the total amount of fats and oils in the food composition is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 90 mass% or less, and preferably 80 mass% or less.

The particle size of the oil droplets in the food composition and the content of fats and oils forming oil droplets with a specified particle size range can be measured by the following method. That is, based on the oil droplet diameter observed with an optical microscope, the following procedure is used to measure. Specifically, first, the sample is diluted 5 times with water. The oil phase is colored in advance with paprika dye. A genuine lens "VHZ-100" is attached to a digital microscope "VHX-600" manufactured by Keyence Corporation, and the shooting mode is adjusted to transmitted light mode and the magnification to 200 times. The stained sample is placed on a slide glass, and the oil droplets are observed without a cover glass, and a 100 μm scale is placed in the field of view, and an observation image is obtained. For each oil droplet on the observation image, the width of the oil droplet is measured as a line segment parallel to the reference side, based on any side of the rectangular image frame line, and the diameter of each oil droplet is determined. That is, the above diameter is the "particle diameter" defined in the present invention. Furthermore, based on the total area (I) of the dyed oil droplet images from the above observation images, the combined area (II) of the oil droplet images with particle diameters of less than 50 μm, the combined area (III) of the oil droplet images with particle diameters of more than 100 μm, and the combined area (I-II-III) of the oil droplet images with particle diameters of 50 μm to 100 μm, 100×II/I is the ratio (mass%) of the oil that forms oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm to the total amount of oil, 100×III/I is the ratio (mass%) of the oil that forms oil droplets with a particle diameter of more than 100 μm to the total amount of oil, and the remainder obtained by subtracting these ratios from 100 is the ratio (mass%) of the oil that forms oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm to the total amount of oil.

In addition to the characteristics of the oil, the food composition contains a viscosity modifier to adjust the viscosity of the composition.

The viscosity adjuster may be, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of starch, agar, carrageenan, gellan gum, furcellaran, gelatin, pectin, curdlan, locust bean gum, tara gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, alginic acid, alginates, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, cassia gum, psyllium seed gum, tamarind gum, CMCNa, CMCCa, and whey protein.
The food composition more preferably contains non-gelatinized starch as the viscosity modifier. Examples of starches constituting non-gelatinized starch include wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, and the like. The starch may be added in the form of grain flour containing starch such as wheat flour, rice flour, and glutinous rice flour. Grain flour may be used by heating alone or in combination with fats and oils to improve flavor and dispersibility. The above starch may be used as a moist heat treated starch or a processed starch that has been chemically modified by crosslinking or adding functional groups. The starch may be used alone or in combination of multiple types.

The content of the viscosity modifier in the food composition can be appropriately adjusted in relation to other ingredients so that the viscosity of the food composition at 25°C is 200 to 10,000 mPa·s. The food composition having this viscosity is highly suitable for production and has high storage stability because separation of the oil phase and the aqueous phase during production or storage is suppressed. In addition, the food composition has a certain degree of fluidity and is easily squeezed out of a flexible container. The viscosity of the food composition can be measured with a B-type viscometer at 25°C. The viscosity value measured with a B-type viscometer can be measured with an appropriate rotor and rotation speed depending on the viscosity range.
For example, it can be measured using a Brookfield viscometer (RB type viscometer, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) to obtain the following values.
For food compositions with a viscosity of 800 mPa·s or less at 25°C, the value is measured after 30 seconds at 30 rpm using rotor No. 2. For food compositions with a viscosity of 800 to 3200 mPa·s, the value is measured after 30 seconds at 30 rpm using rotor No. 3. For food compositions with a viscosity of 3200 to 8000 mPa·s, the value is measured after 30 seconds at 60 rpm using rotor No. 4. For food compositions with a viscosity of 8000 mPa·s or more, the value is measured after 30 seconds at 30 rpm using rotor No. 4.

The viscosity of the food composition at 25°C is more preferably 600 mPa·s or more, particularly preferably 800 mPa·s or more, more preferably 6000 mPa·s or less, even more preferably 3000 mPa·s or less, particularly preferably 2000 mPa·s or less.

In an embodiment in which the food composition contains non-gelatinized starch, the content of non-gelatinized starch is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 to 50% by mass, more preferably 5 to 20% by mass, and particularly preferably 5 to 15% by mass, based on the total weight of the composition.

If the viscosity adjuster used has the ability to develop viscosity when the food composition is combined with hot water, it is possible to impart a suitable viscosity to the liquid food. In particular, the food composition containing non-gelatinized starch can adjust the viscosity during production or storage to a predetermined range, and since it develops viscosity by gelatinization in hot water, it can impart a suitable viscosity to the liquid food that has been cooked.

It is also preferred that the food composition further comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of sugar, dairy products, vegetable powder, salt, and powdered seasonings.

Examples of sugars include monosaccharides such as glucose, disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, and trehalose, oligosaccharides, maltosyltrehalose, starch syrup, dextrin, and sugar alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, oligosaccharide alcohols, and the like). The sugars may be used alone or in combination. The sugars are preferably water-soluble sugars. The sugars do not include non-gelatinized starch.
Other ingredients such as dairy products, vegetable powders, salt, powdered seasonings, etc. can be appropriately selected and blended depending on the desired flavor.

The food composition may further contain an emulsifier. The food composition containing an emulsifier further suppresses separation of the oil phase and the water phase, and has particularly high production and storage stability. On the other hand, according to the food composition of the present invention, even if it does not contain an emulsifier, the suppression of separation during production or storage and the performance of floating oil during cooking in combination with hot water are achieved, so there is an advantage that it can be in a form that does not contain additives, etc.

Examples of emulsifiers include casein, whey protein, lecithin, egg white, egg yolk, glycerin fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, and sucrose fatty acid ester. Suitable emulsifiers are chemically synthesized substances with an HLB of 6 or more, preferably 7 to 14, or milk proteins.
Milk protein may be used as a raw material in the production of the food composition in the form of cream, milk, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, milk powder, condensed milk, cheese, etc.
The content of the emulsifier is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.001 to 1.0% by mass, and more preferably 0.01 to 0.2% by mass, based on the total weight of the food composition.

When fats and oils are blended in the form of an emulsion such as fresh cream during the production of the food composition, the emulsion contains an emulsifier in addition to fats and oils, so there is no need to blend an emulsifier separately. The food composition may be produced by blending an emulsifier in a form other than an emulsion separately.

The food composition is preferably in a form of a heat-treated container. Examples of the container that can be used include pouch-shaped containers, pouches with stoppers, tube-shaped containers, bottle-shaped containers, cans, and bottle containers. The order of filling and sealing the food composition into a container and heat treatment for the purpose of sterilization or the like is not particularly limited, and the heat treatment may be performed before or after filling the container with the food composition, or before or after filling the container. Typical examples include a method in which the food composition is filled and sealed into a container and then heat-treated (post-heating), and a method in which the food composition is pre-heated (preferably at a temperature of 60°C to 90°C), filled and sealed into a container while maintaining the heat treatment temperature (preferably 60°C to 90°C, more preferably 60°C to 85°C, and even more preferably 65°C to 85°C), and the container is heated (hot pack).

In an embodiment in which the food composition contains non-gelatinized starch, the heat treatment is carried out under conditions that do not gelatinize the starch (including an embodiment in which starch is added to a raw material that has been cooled after heat treatment), thereby realizing a form in which the food composition is in a heat-treated container and has a predetermined viscosity, and which, when combined with hot water, can impart a suitable viscosity to a liquid food that has been cooked. The food composition may contain dextrin, sugar alcohol, alcohol, etc., for the purpose of improving shelf life.

<Method of producing a paste-like food composition>
The paste-like food composition according to the embodiment can be produced by homogenizing a raw material mixture containing water, fats and oils, and a viscosity adjuster, and other raw materials added as necessary, using a homogenizing means such as a homogenizer to form a suspension in which the total amount of fats and oils contains 35% by mass or less of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm, 45% by mass or more of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm to 100 μm, and 25% by mass or less of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of more than 100 μm.

In an embodiment in which the food composition contains non-gelatinized starch, it is preferred that a mixture of ingredients other than the non-gelatinized starch is first prepared, and if necessary, heat-treated, and then mixed with the non-gelatinized starch and homogenized.
The food composition can be filled into a container, sealed, and then heat-treated as necessary. The shape of the container and the shape of the heat-treatment are as described above.

<Method of manufacturing liquid food>
One or more other embodiments of the present invention include
The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid food, comprising heating a mixture containing the paste-like food composition according to the embodiment and water, and/or mixing the paste-like food composition with heated water.

As the liquid food, preferred are liquid foods such as soups and sauces, such as Sundubu and ramen soup, in which the appearance of oil floating on the liquid surface is desired.
The liquid food may further comprise other ingredients such as ingredients, noodles, etc. The other ingredients may be added before, during and/or after the preparation process of the liquid food.

The mixing ratio of the food composition and water is not particularly limited, but the mixing ratio may be adjusted so that the final liquid food has a viscosity at 60°C of, for example, less than 300 mPa·s, preferably 200 mPa·s or less, and more preferably 150 mPa·s or less. The viscosity of the liquid food, like that of the food composition, can be measured with a B-type viscometer, for example, using a rotor No. 2, as the value measured after 30 seconds at 30 rpm.

Examples 1 to 6, Comparative Example 1
Example 1
The ingredients of the first and second blends having the compositions shown in the table below per 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the food composition were prepared, and the containerized paste-like food composition of Example 1 was prepared according to the following procedure.

1. The ingredients of the first blend were heated with mixing to reach a temperature of 95° C. and cooled to 75° C. The powdered seasoning ingredients and liquid seasoning ingredients included Chinese flavored ingredients.
2. To this was added the cornstarch of the second blend, and the mixture was cooled to 40°C while mixing, and then homogenized using a Dispermill at 1500 rpm for 1 minute.
3. The mixture was packed into a flexible pouch-shaped container, sealed, and then heat sterilized at 70° C. for 30 minutes to obtain a paste-like food composition in a container.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 1 thus obtained contains, based on the total amount of the composition, approximately 20.0% by mass of oil, approximately 45.7% by mass of solids (solids other than oil, same below) (including 10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 34.3% by mass of water.

Example 2
A container-packed paste-like food composition of Example 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw materials of the first blend were changed to the components shown in the table below.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 2 contains approximately 20.0% by mass of oil, approximately 20.9% by mass of solids (including 10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 59.1% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

Example 3
Only the raw materials shown in the "First Blend" column in the table below (total amount of food composition is 100 parts by mass) were homogenized using a Disper Mill at 1500 rpm for 1 minute. This was treated in the same manner as in step 3. described in Example 1 to obtain a container-packed paste-like food composition of Example 3.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 3 contains approximately 20.0% by mass of oil, approximately 0.7% by mass of solids (no non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 79.3% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

Example 4
A container-packed paste-like food composition of Example 4 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw materials of the first blend were changed to the components shown in the table below.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 4 contains approximately 5.0% by mass of oil, approximately 30.6% by mass of solids (10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 64.4% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

Example 5
A container-packed paste-like food composition of Example 5 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw materials of the first blend were changed to the components shown in the table below.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 5 contains approximately 40.0% by mass of oil, approximately 30.7% by mass of solids (10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 29.3% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

Example 6
A packaged paste-like food composition of Example 6 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the homogenization conditions were changed to 1,000 rpm for 1 minute.

The containerized paste-like food composition of Example 6 contains approximately 20.0% by mass of oil, approximately 45.7% by mass of solids (including 10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 34.3% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

Comparative Example 1
A container-packed paste-like food composition of Comparative Example 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw materials of the first blend were changed to the components shown in the table below.

The container-packed paste-like food composition of Comparative Example 1 contains approximately 50.0% by mass of oil, approximately 30.2% by mass of solids (10% by mass of non-gelatinized starch), and approximately 19.8% by mass of water based on the total amount of the composition.

The cornstarch used in Examples 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 and Comparative Example 1 was not gelatinized and had an average particle size of approximately 10 to 25 μm.

The particle size of the oil droplets in the paste-like food composition and the content of fats and oils forming the oil droplets of that particle size were measured using the following method.

Based on the oil droplet diameter observed under an optical microscope, the following procedure is used for measurement. Specifically, the sample is first diluted 5 times with water. The oil phase is colored in advance with paprika dye. A genuine lens "VHZ-100" is attached to a Keyence digital microscope "VHX-600", and the shooting mode is adjusted to transmitted light mode and the magnification to 200 times. The stained sample is placed on a slide glass, and the oil droplets are observed without a cover glass. A 100 μm scale is placed within the field of view, and an observation image is obtained.
An example of the observed image is shown in Figure 1. The rectangular images on the observed image in Figure 1 are oil droplets, and for each oil droplet, an arbitrary side of the rectangular image frame was used as a reference side, and the width of the oil droplet was measured as a line segment parallel to the reference side, which was taken as the diameter (particle size) of each oil droplet.

Furthermore, from the above observation images, the percentages of oil droplets with particle sizes of "less than 50 μm," "50 μm to 100 μm," and "more than 100 μm" were calculated based on the total area of the dyed oil droplet images (I), the combined area of the oil droplet images with particle sizes of less than 50 μm (II), the combined area of the oil droplet images with particle sizes of more than 100 μm (III), and the combined area of the oil droplet images with particle sizes of 50 μm to 100 μm (I-II-III). The value obtained by multiplying the fat content (mass%) of the food composition by the above percentages was determined as the fat content (mass%) of the oil forming the oil droplets with each particle size. The percentages (mass%) of oil droplets with particle sizes of "less than 50 μm," "50 μm to 100 μm," and "more than 100 μm" to the total amount of the fat are shown in the table.

The viscosity (mPa·s) of the paste-like food composition was measured at 25°C using a B-type viscometer.

evaluation
Evaluation 1: The state of the paste-like food composition was visually observed and evaluated for up to 5 hours after separation and homogenization of the oil and water phases .
"None": The dispersed state (suspension) after homogenization is maintained, and no separation of the oil phase and the water phase is observed.
"Yes": Immediately after homogenization, the dispersed state was broken down and the oil phase and the water phase were separated.

Evaluation 2: Homogeneity retention in container The containered paste-like food composition was heat sterilized and stored at 50° C. for 1 day, after which the state of the paste-like food composition was visually evaluated.
"Good": The dispersed state (suspension) after homogenization and the paste state (suspension) after heat sterilization are maintained even after storage, and no separation of the oil phase and the water phase is observed.
"△": The oil phase and the water phase are not completely separated, but separation of the oil phase is observed compared to "◯".
"X": The oil phase and the water phase clearly separated into two layers.

Rating 3: Oily appearance on the liquid surface

Hot water (100 ml+α) was added to 30 g of the paste-like food composition until the viscosity of the liquid at the time of consumption became 150 mPa·s or less, and the state of the prepared liquid was visually evaluated.
"Good": Droplets of oil floating on the surface of the water give it an appetizing appearance.
"△": Compared to ◯, the oil phase and the water phase did not separate, and the amount of oil droplets floating to the water surface was small.
"X": The oil phase and the water phase do not separate (suspension state), and almost no oil droplets floating to the water surface are observed.

Evaluation 4: Enhancement of the oil flavor The liquid prepared by adding hot water was tasted and evaluated.
"Good": Chinese flavors and aromas spread in your mouth.
"△": The flavor and aroma are less noticeable than with "◯".
"X": The flavor and aroma are not detected.

Experimental Results The results of analysis and evaluation of each of the Examples and Comparative Examples are shown in the above table.
The paste-like food composition of Example 1 contains 20% by mass of oil, about 10% by mass of corn starch (viscosity modifier, insoluble solids), and about 0.5% by mass of xanthan gum (viscosity modifier, soluble solids). The paste-like food composition of Example 1 has a viscosity of about 1800 mPa·s, and the viscosity of the liquid prepared by adding hot water is about 150 mPa·s or less. All of the evaluations 1 to 4 were good results.

In particular, the paste-like food composition of Example 1, in addition to the above-mentioned components, contains 25% by mass (35% by mass or less) of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of less than 50 μm relative to the total amount of fats and oils, and by suspending fine oil droplets, separation is prevented during production or storage and homogeneity is maintained.
In addition, by containing 70% by mass (45% by mass or more) of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter of 50 μm or more and 100 μm or less, in addition to the above-mentioned effects of suppressing separation and maintaining homogeneity, the oil floats when combined with hot water, thereby improving the flavor.
At the same time, by including 5% by mass (25% by mass or less) of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle diameter exceeding 100 μm, the oil floating and flavor improvement are achieved without impairing the effect of suppressing separation and maintaining homogeneity provided by the oil droplets with a smaller particle diameter.

The paste-like food composition of Example 2 does not contain any powdered flavoring ingredients, contains about 20% by mass of oil, about 10% by mass of corn starch, and about 0.7% by mass of xanthan gum, and has a viscosity of about 800 mPa·s. As in Example 1, it also contains a specified ratio of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a specified particle size range. As in Example 1, the results of evaluations 1 to 4 of the paste-like food composition of Example 2 were all good.

The paste-like food composition of Comparative Example 1 does not contain xanthan gum and contains about 50% by mass of oil (more than 40% by mass), about 10% by mass of corn starch, and about 19.8% by mass of water. Due to the high oil content and low water content, the paste-like food composition of Comparative Example 1 does not have sufficient viscosity, and the results of Evaluations 1 and 2 related to production and storage stability were poor. Because the oil separates due to the low viscosity, the particle size of the oil droplets cannot be measured.

Furthermore, when evaluations 3 and 4 were performed on a commercially available mayonnaise with an even higher oil content (about 80% by mass of oil, containing nearly 100% by mass of oil that forms oil droplets with a particle size of less than 50 μm relative to the total amount of oil), both evaluations were poor (i.e., in evaluation 3, even when dissolved in water and heated, it spread in a suspended state and did not achieve the appearance of oil floating on the liquid surface, and in evaluation 4, the floating oil did not enhance the oil flavor. These are not listed in the table). It contains more than 35% by mass of oil that forms oil droplets with a particle size of less than 50 μm relative to the total amount of oil, which has the effect of suppressing separation and maintaining homogeneity, but does not cause the oil to float when combined with hot water.

From the above, it was found that if the fat/oil content of a food composition exceeds 40% by mass, it is not possible to obtain both the ability to prevent fat/oil separation and the ability to float on the surface during cooking, or, like mayonnaise, if the food composition contains a large number of fine oil droplets caused by strong shear, separation can be prevented but the ability to float on the surface cannot be obtained.

The paste-like food composition of Example 3 contains about 20% by mass of oil and about 0.7% by mass of xanthan gum, but does not contain cornstarch. The paste-like food composition of Example 3 has a somewhat low viscosity of about 600 mPa·s, and like Example 1, contains a specified ratio of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a specified particle size range, and the result of Evaluation 2 (maintenance of homogeneity within the container) is somewhat inferior to Examples 1 and 2, but Evaluations 1, 3, and 4 were good results.

The paste-like food composition of Example 4 contains about 5% by mass of oil, about 10% by mass of corn starch, and about 0.4% by mass of xanthan gum. The paste-like food composition of Example 5 contains about 40% by mass of oil, about 10% by mass of corn starch, and about 0.5% by mass of xanthan gum. The paste-like food composition of Example 4, which contains about 5% by mass of oil, and the paste-like food composition of Example 5, which contains about 40% by mass of oil, both received generally good ratings of 1 to 4. Both Examples 4 and 5 contain a predetermined ratio of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size in a predetermined range, and the effects of the present invention were achieved when the composition contains 20 to 30% by mass of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of less than 50 μm, and when the composition contains 0 to 10% by mass of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of more than 100 μm.

The paste-like food composition of Example 6 contained 20% by mass of oil, about 10% by mass of corn starch, and about 0.5% by mass of xanthan gum, had a viscosity of about 1600 mPa·s, and was generally good in ratings 1 to 4. The effects of the present invention were also achieved when the composition contained 20% by mass of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of less than 50 μm, 60% by mass of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of 50 μm to 100 μm, and 20% by mass of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a particle size of more than 100 μm.

By including 5 to 40% by mass of fats and oils in a paste-like food composition and specifying the content of fats and oils that form oil droplets with a specified particle size range as specified in the present invention, it is possible to achieve both the performance of preventing the fats and oils from separating during production or storage and the performance of floating the fats during cooking.

Claims (5)

A paste-like food composition in a suspension form comprising water, an oil and fat, and a viscosity modifier, the oil and fat being in a dispersed state,
The oil or fat contains 5 to 40% by mass,
The oil and fat contains, relative to the total amount of the oil and fat, 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of less than 50 μm, 45% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of 50 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and 25% by mass or less of oil and fat forming oil droplets having a particle diameter of more than 100 μm,
the viscosity modifier is a non-gelatinized starch , the starch constituting the non-gelatinized starch containing 5 to 20% by mass of one or more kinds of starches selected from wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch;
The viscosity at 25°C is 600 to 6,000 mPa·s;
The paste-like food composition (excluding food compositions containing a three-dimensional network structure substantially composed of fine cellulose) is in the form of a heat-treated container in which the non-gelatinized starch is heat-treated under conditions that do not cause gelatinization, and is intended to be mixed with water and heated and/or mixed with heated water to prepare a liquid food. The paste-like food composition according to claim 1, further comprising, as the viscosity adjuster, one or more selected from the group consisting of starch, agar, carrageenan, gellan gum, furcellaran, gelatin, pectin, curdlan, locust bean gum, tara gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, alginic acid, alginates, Azotobacter vinelandii gum, cassia gum, psyllium seed gum, tamarind gum, CMCNa, CMCCa and whey protein. The paste-like food composition according to claim 1 or 2, which contains one or more selected from the group consisting of sugar, dairy products, vegetable powder, salt, and powdered seasonings. The paste-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an emulsifier. A method for producing a liquid food, comprising heating a mixture containing the paste-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and water, and/or mixing the paste-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 with heated water.