JP7715750B2 - Effervescent instant soup powder - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to effervescent powdered instant soups.

Foamed soup is served at many ramen restaurants, including those that serve foamy tonkotsu ramen, characterized by the bubbles that form when the pork bones are boiled, and those that feature espuma created by whipping the soup in a blender. Foam in the soup is formed by mechanically stirring the soup and incorporating air into the soup. This type of mechanical force cannot be used in instant soups that can be eaten by simply adding hot water or water.

Effervescent instant beverages that use a combination of an acidic agent and an alkaline agent as a foaming agent are known.

Patent Document 1 (JP 2014-180257 A) describes "an instant sparkling beverage characterized by containing (A) an acidic agent, (B) an alkaline agent, and (C) a foaming powdered oil or fat."

Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 10-276673) describes "instant effervescent teas made by blending powdered tea with baking soda and citric acid, and then forming the blend into granular tablets."

JP 2014-180257 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-276673

Instant noodles are typically eaten over a period of 10 to 20 minutes after boiling the noodles in a pot or similar, adding hot water to the powdered soup, and then eating them. Instant cup noodles are ready to eat 3 to 5 minutes after adding hot water, and are then eaten. Therefore, there is a demand for powdered instant soup that can maintain its foam for, for example, 20 minutes after adding hot water.

It is possible to increase the amount of foam generated by using large amounts of foaming agents, including acidic and alkaline agents, and ensure that foam remains present throughout the eating period. However, because acidic or alkaline agents impart a sour or bitter taste, using large amounts of foaming agents often impairs the flavor of soups served with various seasonings.

This disclosure provides a foaming powdered instant soup that has excellent foam retention and a good flavor, and can be used in instant noodles, instant cup noodles, and the like.

The inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems could be solved by combining a foaming agent containing an acidic agent and an alkaline agent with a specified amount of Quillaja extract as a foam-retaining agent, and thus completed the present invention.

The present invention includes the following aspects 1 to 5.
[Aspect 1]
1. A foaming powder instant soup comprising a foaming agent including an acidic agent and an alkaline agent, and a quillaja extract,
The content of the foaming agent is 3.0% by mass to 7.5% by mass based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup,
The content of the quillaja extract is 0.20% by mass to 10.0% by mass based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup.
[Aspect 2]
2. The effervescent powdered instant soup of claim 1, further comprising a milk or dairy-based food product.
[Aspect 3]
3. The effervescent powdered instant soup of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a thickener.
[Aspect 4]
Aspect 4. The effervescent powdered instant soup according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, further comprising a protein hydrolysate.
[Aspect 5]
A food product comprising the effervescent powdered instant soup according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4.

The present invention provides a foaming powdered instant soup that has excellent foam retention and a good flavor and can be used in instant noodles, instant cup noodles, and other products.

The above description should not be considered as disclosing all embodiments of the present invention or all advantages associated with the present invention.

The following describes in more detail representative embodiments of the present invention for illustrative purposes, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

Instant soup refers to a food that is dissolved or dispersed in an aqueous medium such as water or hot water to make a liquid and then consumed; it is in a dry state before being made into a liquid. Powdered instant soup refers to a food that is in a powder form when dry.

<Effervescent instant soup powder>
In one embodiment, the effervescent powdered instant soup comprises a foaming agent comprising an acidic agent and an alkaline agent, and quillaja extract.

Foaming agents include acidic and alkaline agents. When hot water or water is added to effervescent powder instant soup, the reaction between the acidic and alkaline agents generates gas, creating bubbles in the soup.

The acidifying agent is not particularly limited as long as it is used in the food industry and has the property of being soluble or dispersible in water. Examples of acidifying agents include alum (ammonium aluminum sulfate and potassium aluminum sulfate), organic acids and their sodium and potassium salts, and phosphates. Examples of organic acids include adipic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid. Examples of phosphates include tricalcium phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium monohydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium metaphosphate, potassium metaphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, and potassium polyphosphate. Acidifying agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

As the acidifying agent, it is preferable to use at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid and gluconic acid, which have a weak acidity. These weak acidifying agents can minimize the effect on the flavor of the effervescent powder instant soup.

The form of the acidifying agent is not particularly limited as long as it can be uniformly dispersed in the effervescent powdered instant soup. Examples of the form of the acidifying agent include powder and granules. The acidifying agent is preferably in granular form. A granular acidifying agent can prevent unintended foaming due to moisture absorption when the effervescent powdered instant soup is stored for a long period of time.

The acidifying agent content in the effervescent powder instant soup is preferably 1.4% to 3.5% by mass, more preferably 2.0% to 3.5% by mass, and even more preferably 2.3% to 3.2% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup. By keeping the acidifying agent content within this range, the effervescent properties of the effervescent powder instant soup can be increased while effectively reducing the impact on the flavor of the soup.

The alkaline agent is not particularly limited as long as it is used in the food industry and has the property of being soluble or dispersible in water. Examples of alkaline agents include bicarbonates, carbonates, and ammonium salts. Examples of bicarbonates include sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and ammonium bicarbonate. Examples of carbonates include sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and ammonium carbonate. Examples of ammonium salts include ammonium chloride. Alkaline agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more. In this disclosure, substances that fall under both bicarbonate or carbonate and ammonium salts are considered to be bicarbonates or carbonates.

It is preferable to use sodium bicarbonate as the alkaline agent, as it has little effect on the flavor of the soup.

The form of the alkaline agent is not particularly limited as long as it can be uniformly dispersed in the effervescent powder instant soup. Examples of the form of the alkaline agent include powder and granules. The alkaline agent is preferably in granular form. A granular alkaline agent can prevent unintended foaming due to moisture absorption when the effervescent powder instant soup is stored for a long period of time.

The content of the alkaline agent in the effervescent powder instant soup is preferably 1.6% to 4.0% by mass, more preferably 2.5% to 4.0% by mass, and even more preferably 2.8% to 3.9% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup. By keeping the alkaline agent content within this range, the effervescent properties of the effervescent powder instant soup can be increased while effectively reducing the impact on the flavor of the soup.

The foaming agent content of the effervescent powder instant soup, i.e., the total content of the acidic agent and alkaline agent, is 3.0% to 7.5% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup. By setting the foaming agent content to 3.0% to 7.5% by mass, the foaming properties of the effervescent powder instant soup can be increased while effectively reducing the impact on the soup's flavor. The foaming agent content of the effervescent powder instant soup is preferably 4.6% to 7.5% by mass, and more preferably 5.2% to 7.1% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup.

The mass ratio of the acid agent to the alkaline agent in the foaming agent (mass of acid agent/mass of alkaline agent) is preferably 0.7 to 1.2, more preferably 0.7 to 1.0, and even more preferably 0.7 to 0.9. By keeping the mass ratio of the acid agent to the alkaline agent within this range, the foaming properties of the foaming powder instant soup can be effectively enhanced.

Quillaja extract promotes foam formation by a foaming agent and improves the shape retention of the foam thus formed. Quillaja extract includes not only the extract obtained by extracting the raw material Quillaja (scientific name: Quillaja Saponaria Molina) with a solvent, but also dilutions, concentrates, and extracts of the extract, as well as dried products obtained by drying the extracts, dilutions, concentrates, or extracts, and crude and purified products thereof. Quillaja is an evergreen tree of the Rosaceae family that grows naturally in South America, including Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Quillaja extract is obtained by extracting one or more parts of the Quillaja tree selected from the group consisting of bark, trunk, leaves, branches, flowers, roots, seeds, and fruit with a solvent. Examples of solvents include water, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, 1,3-butylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, and mixtures of two or more of these.

Quillaja extract contains quillaja saponin. Saponin is a glycoside in which sugar is bound to a compound (saponigen) with a steroid or triterpene skeleton. It is found in a variety of plants and is a general term for compounds that create colloidal aqueous solutions that foam significantly like soap. Quillaja saponin has strong surface activity, resulting in foaming and foam-retaining properties. Therefore, the use of quillaja extract improves the foaming and foam-retaining properties of foaming powder instant soup.

The form of the quillaja extract is not particularly limited as long as it can be uniformly dispersed in the effervescent powdered instant soup. Examples of the form of the quillaja extract include powder and granules.

The quillaja extract content of the effervescent powdered instant soup is 0.20% to 10.0% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup. By setting the quillaja extract content to 0.20% to 10.0% by mass, the foaming properties and foam retention of the effervescent powdered instant soup can be enhanced while effectively reducing the impact of the quillaja extract on the flavor of the soup. The quillaja extract content of the effervescent powdered instant soup is preferably 0.20% to 9.9% by mass, and more preferably 2.1% to 9.8% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup.

The mass ratio of foaming agent to Quillaja extract in the effervescent powder instant soup (mass of foaming agent/mass of Quillaja extract) is preferably 0.3 to 34.0, more preferably 0.4 to 34.0, and even more preferably 0.8 to 3.5. By keeping the mass ratio of foaming agent to Quillaja extract within this range, the foaming properties and foam retention of the effervescent powder instant soup can be effectively improved.

There are no particular restrictions on the ingredients for effervescent powdered instant soup, and ingredients commonly used in instant soups can be used. Examples of ingredients include salts (sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, etc.), sugars (sugar, glucose, lactose, maltose, fructose, trehalose, starch syrup, dextrin, etc.), meat, dairy products (foods made primarily from milk or dairy products, etc.), seafood, vegetables, spices, oils and fats (edible oils and fats, flavor oils, processed oils and fats, powdered oils and fats, etc.), mushrooms, beans, soybean products (miso, soy sauce, soy protein, soy milk, okara, etc.), sesame, nuts, grains, starches, gelatins, various seasonings (amino acids, nucleic acids, acidulants, fermented seasonings, protein hydrolysates, yeast extract, etc.), thickeners, flavorings, colorings, vitamins, minerals, emulsifiers, and flour quality improvers (silicon dioxide, etc.). It is preferable that these raw materials be dry.

Preferably, the effervescent powder instant soup further contains a food product made primarily from milk or dairy products. "Food products made primarily from milk or dairy products" refers to foods other than "cream," which are classified according to the type or content of fat, the presence or absence of additives, etc., in the "Ministerial Ordinance on Milk and Dairy Products (Milk, etc. Ordinance)" and are labeled in accordance with the "Dairy Product Labeling Guidelines" of the Japan Dairy Industry Association. According to the Milk, etc. Ordinance, "cream" is a product obtained by removing all ingredients other than milk fat from raw milk, etc., and does not contain any additives such as vegetable fats, emulsifiers, or stabilizers, and has a milk fat content of 18.0% or more. On the other hand, products that use milk fat as an ingredient but add emulsifiers or stabilizers or replace a portion of it with vegetable fat (such as coconut oil, palm oil, or soybean oil) are classified as "foods made primarily from milk or dairy products." Food products made primarily from milk or dairy products can further enhance the foaming and foam retention properties of effervescent powder instant soup.

The content of the food product whose main ingredient is milk or a dairy product in the effervescent powder instant soup is preferably 0.1% to 8.0% by mass, and more preferably 3.5% to 8.0% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup.

It is preferable that the effervescent powder instant soup further contains a thickener. The thickener can further enhance the foaming and foam retention of the effervescent powder instant soup. There are no particular restrictions on the thickener, as long as it has a thickening effect, is used in the food industry, and has the property of being soluble or dispersible in water in a powdered state. Examples of thickeners include xanthan gum, guar gum, carob bean gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, tamarind seed gum, glucomannan, tragacanth gum, carrageenan, tara gum, cassia gum, glucomannan, native gellan gum, deacylated gellan gum, pectin, psyllium seed gum, agar, gelatin, pectin, karaya gum, gum arabic, macrophomopsis gum, rhamsan gum, ghatti gum, alginic acid or alginates, curdlan, pullulan, methylcellulose (MC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), calcium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), microfibrous cellulose, soybean polysaccharides, and modified starches. Gelatin is preferably used as a thickener because it has minimal impact on the flavor of the soup.

The thickener content of the effervescent powder instant soup is preferably 0.1% to 3.0% by mass, and more preferably 1.3% to 3.0% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup.

The effervescent powder instant soup preferably further contains a protein hydrolysate. Protein hydrolysates contain peptides or amino acids obtained by hydrolyzing proteins with enzymes or acids. Examples of protein hydrolysates include at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrolyzed animal proteins (HAP) and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins (HVP). Protein hydrolysates can further enhance the foaming and foam retention properties of the effervescent powder instant soup.

The protein hydrolyzate content in the effervescent powdered instant soup is preferably 0.1% to 3.6% by mass, and more preferably 1.5% to 3.6% by mass, based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup.

By adding flavorings to the effervescent powder instant soup, unpleasant tastes and odors such as sourness, bitterness, distinctive flavor, and astringency caused by acidic agents, alkaline agents, or quillaja extract can be masked.

<Method for producing effervescent powder instant soup>
The effervescent powdered instant soup can be produced by powder-mixing the above-mentioned raw materials, foaming agents (acidic and alkaline agents), and Quillaja extract. The order of mixing these ingredients is not particularly limited.

A rotating or agitating powder mixer can be used for powder mixing. Examples of rotating powder mixers include W-type mixers, V-type mixers, and drum-type mixers. Examples of agitating powder mixers include ribbon mixers and conical screw-type mixers.

The temperature for powder mixing is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 15°C to 80°C. To suppress the reaction of the foaming agent caused by the presence of moisture, it is preferable that the humidity in the powder mixing atmosphere be 60% RH or less. The powder mixing atmosphere may be reduced in pressure to allow moisture volatilizing from the raw materials, etc. during powder mixing to be discharged to the outside.

Raw materials that are not dry are preferably mixed with other ingredients while they are dry during powder mixing. In this case, it is preferable to add the foaming agent after the raw materials have been dried.

If necessary, after powder mixing, subsequent processes such as crushing, classification, drying, and individual packaging may be carried out.

<How to use effervescent instant soup powder>
The effervescent powder instant soup can be used in a variety of applications. Examples of applications of the effervescent powder instant soup include foods containing the effervescent powder instant soup, such as instant noodles, instant cup noodles, and cup soups. The effervescent powder instant soup can be particularly suitably used as soup for instant noodles and instant cup noodles. The effervescent powder instant soup can be consumed, for example, by adding hot water or water in an amount 20 to 35 times the mass of the effervescent powder instant soup.

The following examples illustrate specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. All parts and percentages, including those in tables, are by weight unless otherwise specified. Numerical values inherently contain errors resulting from measurement principles and measuring devices. Numerical values, including those in tables, are given to significant digits using ordinary rounding techniques.

<Raw materials>
The raw materials used in this example are shown in Table 1.

The compositions of the powdered soup ingredients (tonkotsu flavor, soy sauce flavor, miso flavor, and salt flavor) used in this example are shown in Table 2.

Example 1
To 13.0 g of a tonkotsu flavored powdered soup ingredient, 0.45 g of citric acid (acid agent) and 0.55 g of sodium bicarbonate (alkali agent) as foaming agents, and 0.50 g of Quillaja extract Quillayanin P-20 as a foam-retaining agent were added, and the mixture was mixed uniformly to prepare the effervescent powdered instant soup of Example 1.

The foaming and foam retention properties of the effervescent powder instant soup were measured and sensory evaluated using the following procedure. 400 mL of hot water was measured using a 1 L measuring cylinder and placed in a pot and brought to a boil. 70 g of instant noodles were added to the pot and boiled for 3 minutes while loosening the noodles. The boiled noodles and hot water were then transferred to a 500 mL beaker, and the effervescent powder instant soup was added to the beaker and stirred 20 times with a spoon to dissolve the soup.

The height (mm) of foam generated in the dissolved soup was measured. Foam height was measured immediately after dissolution, and after 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes to evaluate foam retention. Because the foam height immediately after dissolving the soup is unstable, the foam height 15 seconds after adding the effervescent powder instant soup was taken as the foam height immediately after dissolution. If the foam no longer covered the entire surface of the beaker, the amount of foam was deemed insufficient.

The soup was sensory evaluated by four experienced panelists (Panelists A to D) according to the following sensory evaluation criteria. The average of the four panelists' sensory evaluation scores was calculated. An average score of 3 to 5 points was considered acceptable.

Sensory evaluation score: 5 points: No off-flavors or odors such as sourness are detected, and the flavor as a product is good. 4 points: Some off-flavors or odors such as sourness are detected, but the flavor as a product is maintained. 3 points: Off-flavors or odors such as sourness are detected, but the flavor as a product is maintained. 2 points: Off-flavors or odors such as sourness are detected, and the flavor as a product is not maintained. 1 point: Strong off-flavors or odors such as sourness are detected, and the flavor as a product is not maintained.

Comparative Examples 1 to 11
Effervescent powder instant soups were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the foam retention agent was changed as shown in Table 3. Measurement of foaming properties and foam retention properties of the obtained effervescent powder instant soups and sensory evaluation were also carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.

The compositions of the effervescent powdered instant soups of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 11 are shown in Table 3.

The evaluation results for the effervescent powdered instant soups of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 11 are shown in Table 4.

All of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 11 showed high foam heights immediately after dissolution. After 5 minutes, differences in foam retention depending on the type of foam retention agent became apparent. The foam retention time for some foam retention agents (Comparative Examples 2, 6, and 8) was less than 20 minutes due to insufficient foam volume. Example 1 showed high foam height both immediately after dissolution and 20 minutes later, demonstrating excellent foaming and foam retention properties.

Examples 2 to 11 and Comparative Examples 12 to 23
A foaming powder instant soup was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the foam retention agent was changed to Quillaja extract and the compositions of the foaming agent and foam retention agent were changed as shown in Table 5.

Measurement of the foaming and foam retention properties of the effervescent powder instant soup, as well as a sensory evaluation, was carried out using the following procedure: 300 mL of boiling water was measured using a 1 L measuring cylinder and transferred to a 500 mL beaker. The effervescent powder instant soup was then added to the beaker and stirred 20 times with a spoon to dissolve the soup.

The height (mm) of foam generated in the dissolved soup was measured. Foam height was measured immediately after dissolution, and after 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes to evaluate foam retention. Because the foam height immediately after dissolving the soup is unstable, the foam height 15 seconds after adding the effervescent powder instant soup was taken as the foam height immediately after dissolution. If the foam no longer covered the entire surface of the beaker, the amount of foam was deemed insufficient.

The soup was sensory evaluated by four experienced panelists (Panelists A to D) according to the same sensory evaluation criteria as in Example 1. The average of the sensory evaluation scores of the four panelists was calculated. An average score of 3 to 5 points was considered to be within the acceptable range.

The compositions of the effervescent powder instant soups of Examples 2 to 11 and Comparative Examples 12 to 23 are shown in Table 5. Table 5 also shows the composition of the effervescent powder instant soup of Example 1.

The evaluation results of the effervescent powder instant soups of Examples 2 to 11 and Comparative Examples 12 to 23 are shown in Table 6. Table 6 also shows the evaluation results of the effervescent powder instant soup of Example 1.

In Comparative Examples 12 and 13, the amount of foaming agent blended was small, so the amount of foam produced was insufficient immediately after dissolution. In contrast, in Example 2, foam was maintained for more than 20 minutes. In Comparative Examples 19 to 23, the amount of foaming agent blended was large, so the acidity was strong and outside the acceptable range. In contrast, in Example 11, the acidity was within the acceptable range, and foam was maintained for more than 20 minutes.

In Comparative Examples 17 and 18, the amount of Quillaja extract blended was small, so although foaming occurred immediately after dissolution, the amount of foam became insufficient after 10 minutes. On the other hand, in Example 11, foam was maintained for more than 20 minutes. In Comparative Examples 14 to 16, the amount of Quillaja extract blended was high, so the astringency characteristic of Quillaja extract was strong and outside the acceptable range. On the other hand, in Example 2, the astringency of the Quillaja extract was within the acceptable range, and foam was maintained for more than 20 minutes.

Examples 12 to 20
Soy sauce, miso, and salt flavors were selected as typical instant noodle seasonings, and effervescent powder instant soups were prepared. The amounts of foaming agent and Quillaja extract used were the same as those in Example 1, except that the amounts of foaming agent and Quillaja extract used were the same as those in Example 2 (low foaming agent amount, high Quillaja extract amount), Example 7 (medium amounts of foaming agent and Quillaja extract amount), and Example 11 (high foaming agent amount, low Quillaja extract amount), and the powdered soup ingredients were changed as shown in Table 7.

Measurements of foaming and foam retention of the foaming powder instant soup, as well as sensory evaluation, were performed using the same procedures as in Example 2.

The compositions of the effervescent powdered instant soups of Examples 12 to 20 are shown in Table 7. The compositions of the effervescent powdered instant soups of Examples 2, 7, and 11 are also listed in Table 7.

The evaluation results for the effervescent powder instant soups of Examples 12 to 20 are shown in Table 8. The evaluation results for the effervescent powder instant soups of Examples 2, 7, and 11 are also listed in Table 8.

The foam-retaining properties of the tonkotsu-flavored (Examples 2, 7, and 11) and miso-flavored (Examples 15-17) effervescent instant soup powders, which contain milk or dairy products as their primary ingredient and contain a high amount of thickener, were longer. Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that the solutions of typical tonkotsu-flavored and miso-flavored instant soup powders are highly viscous and often cloudy and emulsified, which is advantageous in terms of foam retention. Foaming and foam retention were also observed in the soy sauce-flavored (Examples 12-14) and salt-flavored (Examples 18-20) effervescent instant soup powders, which do not contain milk or dairy products as their primary ingredient and contain a low amount of thickener.

Claims (5)

1. A foaming powder instant soup comprising a foaming agent including an acidic agent and an alkaline agent, and a quillaja extract,
The content of the foaming agent is 3.0% by mass to 7.5% by mass based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup,
The content of the quillaja extract is 0.20% by mass to 10.0% by mass based on the mass of the effervescent powdered instant soup. The effervescent powdered instant soup according to claim 1, further comprising a food product made primarily from milk or dairy products. The effervescent powdered instant soup according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a thickener. The effervescent powdered instant soup according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a protein hydrolysate. A food product comprising the effervescent powdered instant soup according to claim 1 or 2.