JP7735682B2 - Meat-like food composition and processed meat-like food using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a meat-like food composition containing plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofibers, and a meat-like processed food using the same.

In recent years, demand for meat ingredients has continued to grow due to population and income growth, particularly in emerging countries, raising concerns about a supply shortage of meat ingredients in the future. Furthermore, for religious reasons, personal beliefs, or even health concerns, meat-like foods that contain little or no meat ingredients and instead incorporate a high proportion of plant-based ingredients such as soybeans and grains are attracting attention.

Such meat-like foods include, for example, a meat-like processed food obtained by mixing a specific textured soy protein with a binding ingredient and then molding and heating it (Patent Document 1), and a hamburger-like food for people with dysphagia that contains an emulsion of textured soy protein blended with starch and soy protein ingredients, isolated soy protein, water, and oil (Patent Document 2).

International Publication No. 2011/043384 JP 2016-67250 A

However, with these previously known proposals, reducing the amount of meat ingredients makes it impossible to achieve a meat-like texture, and the added starch makes the product slimy and sticky, so improvements were needed.

The present invention aims to provide a meat-like food composition that has excellent texture, water retention, and workability, as well as a meat-like processed food product using the same.

As a result of extensive investigation, the present inventors have found that the problems can be solved by the following (1) to (5).
(1) A meat-like food composition containing a plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofiber, characterized in that the meat material content is 30% by mass or less.
(2) The livestock meat-like food composition according to (1), characterized in that the cellulose nanofibers are chemically modified cellulose nanofibers. (3) The livestock meat-like food composition according to (2), characterized in that the chemically modified cellulose nanofibers are oxidized cellulose nanofibers having a carboxyl group content of 0.5 mmol/g to 3.0 mmol/g relative to the bone dry weight of the chemically modified cellulose nanofibers.
(4) The meat-like food composition according to (2), characterized in that the chemically modified cellulose nanofiber is a carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber having a carboxymethyl substitution degree per glucose unit of the chemically modified cellulose nanofiber of 0.01 to 0.50.
(5) The meat-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the plant-derived protein is a soybean-derived protein.
(6) A meat-like processed food comprising the meat-like food composition according to any one of (1) to (5).

The present invention provides a meat-like food composition that has excellent texture, water retention, and workability, as well as a meat-like processed food product made from the same.

The present invention will be explained in detail below, but unless otherwise specified, expressions such as "AA-BB%" will mean "at least AA% and no more than BB%."

That is, the present invention is a meat-like food composition containing plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofiber, characterized in that the meat material content is 30% by mass or less.

<Plant-derived protein>
Examples of plant-derived proteins used in the present invention include protein materials derived from oilseeds such as soybeans, peas, rapeseeds, cottonseeds, peanuts, sesame, safflower, sunflowers, corn, safflowers, and coconuts, or from grain seeds such as rice, barley, and wheat, as well as extracted and processed proteins thereof, such as rice glutelin, barley prolamin, wheat prolamin, wheat gluten, soybean globulin, soybean albumin, and peanut albumin, as well as heat-treated, acid-treated, alkali-treated, and enzyme-treated proteins. Soybean protein is preferred from the standpoints of availability and economy. The soy protein referred to here may be any material containing protein derived from soybeans, and examples thereof include full-fat soybeans such as whole soybeans and half-split soybeans, reduced-fat soybeans and defatted soybeans from which fats and oils have been removed, concentrated soy protein obtained by concentrating protein by washing with aqueous ethanol or acidic water, as well as isolated soy protein or soy milk, and hydrolysates thereof, okara, whey, etc. At least one of these can be selected. Of these, defatted soybeans are particularly preferred due to their economical advantages.

There are no particular limitations on the form of such plant-derived proteins, and they can be in granular, powdered, paste, fibrous, or other forms that can be selected appropriately depending on the properties desired for the meat-like food composition.

<Cellulose nanofiber>
The meat-like food composition of the present invention is characterized by containing cellulose nanofibers. Cellulose nanofibers are materials produced by finely defibrating plant fibers to the nano level, and are generally fine fibers with an average fiber diameter of approximately 3 to 500 nm and an average aspect ratio of 50 or more. The average fiber diameter and average fiber length of cellulose nanofibers can be obtained by averaging the fiber diameters and fiber lengths obtained from the observation of each fiber using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The aspect ratio can be calculated using the following formula:
Aspect ratio = average fiber length/average fiber diameter

Cellulose nanofibers can be produced by subjecting cellulose raw materials to strong shearing forces, either unmodified or chemically modified. In the present invention, the cellulose raw materials may be unmodified or chemically modified, with chemical modification being preferred. Cellulose nanofibers produced using chemically modified cellulose raw materials have more uniform fiber length and diameter than cellulose nanofibers produced using unmodified cellulose raw materials, and are therefore presumably more stable in water and exhibit superior effects. The chemical modification method is not particularly limited, but examples include oxidation, etherification, phosphorylation, esterification, silane coupling, fluorination, and cationization. Among these, oxidation using an N-oxyl compound, carboxymethylation, or cationization is preferred, with carboxymethylation or oxidation being particularly preferred for food applications.

<Cellulose raw materials>
In the present invention, known cellulose raw materials for producing cellulose nanofibers include those derived from plants (e.g., wood, bamboo, hemp, jute, kenaf, agricultural waste, cloth, pulp (softwood unbleached kraft pulp (NUKP), softwood bleached kraft pulp (NBKP), hardwood unbleached kraft pulp (LUKP), hardwood bleached kraft pulp (LBKP), softwood unbleached sulfite pulp (NUSP), softwood bleached sulfite pulp (NBSP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP), recycled pulp, waste paper, etc.), animals (e.g., ascidians), algae, microorganisms (e.g., acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter)), microbial products, etc.), and any of these can be used in the present invention. Cellulose fibers derived from plants or microorganisms are preferred, and cellulose fibers derived from plants are more preferred.

There are no particular restrictions on the fiber diameter of the cellulose fiber raw material used in the present invention, with the number average fiber diameter being between 1 μm and 1 mm. Generally, refined products have a fiber diameter of around 50 μm. For example, when refining chips or other materials several centimeters in size, it is preferable to mechanically process them using a disintegrator such as a refiner or beater to reduce the diameter to around 50 μm.

<Oxidation>
In the present invention, oxidation of the cellulose raw material can be carried out using a known method, and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to adjust the amount of carboxyl groups to 0.5 mmol/g to 3.0 mmol/g relative to the bone dry weight of the cellulose nanofiber.

For example, cellulose can be obtained by oxidizing it in water using an oxidizing agent in the presence of an N-oxyl compound and a compound selected from the group consisting of bromides, iodides, and mixtures thereof. This oxidation reaction selectively oxidizes the primary hydroxyl group at C6 of the glucopyranose ring on the cellulose surface, resulting in cellulosic fibers bearing aldehyde groups and carboxyl or carboxylate groups on the surface. The cellulose concentration during the reaction is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5% by mass or less.
The N-oxyl compound refers to a compound capable of generating a nitroxy radical. Any compound can be used as the N-oxyl compound as long as it promotes the target oxidation reaction.

The amount of N-oxyl compound used is not particularly limited, as long as it is a catalytic amount capable of oxidizing the raw cellulose. For example, 0.01 to 10 mmol is preferred, 0.01 to 1 mmol is more preferred, and 0.05 to 0.5 mmol is even more preferred, per 1 g of bone-dry cellulose. A concentration of approximately 0.1 to 4 mmol/L of the reaction system is also recommended. Bromides are compounds containing bromine, and examples include alkali metal bromides that can dissociate and ionize in water. Iodides are compounds containing iodine, and examples include alkali metal iodides. The amount of bromide or iodide used can be selected within a range that promotes the oxidation reaction. The total amount of bromide and iodide is, for example, preferably 0.1 to 100 mmol, more preferably 0.1 to 10 mmol, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5 mmol, per 1 g of bone-dry cellulose.

Known oxidizing agents can be used, such as halogens, hypohalous acids, halous acids, perhalogen acids or their salts, halogen oxides, and peroxides. Among these, sodium hypochlorite is preferred because it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The appropriate amount of oxidizing agent used is, for example, preferably 0.5 to 500 mmol, more preferably 0.5 to 50 mmol, even more preferably 1 to 25 mmol, and most preferably 3 to 10 mmol per 1 g of bone-dry cellulose. Furthermore, for example, 1 to 40 mol per 1 mol of N-oxyl compound is preferred.

The cellulose oxidation process can proceed efficiently even under relatively mild conditions. Therefore, the reaction temperature is preferably 4 to 40°C, or even room temperature (15 to 30°C). As the reaction progresses, carboxyl groups are generated in the cellulose, causing a decrease in the pH of the reaction solution. To efficiently promote the oxidation reaction, it is preferable to add an alkaline solution such as aqueous sodium hydroxide to maintain the pH of the reaction solution at 8 to 12, preferably 10 to 11. Water is preferred as the reaction medium because it is easy to handle and does not easily cause side reactions. The reaction time for the oxidation reaction can be set appropriately depending on the degree of oxidation progress, and is usually 0.5 to 6 hours, for example, 0.5 to 4 hours. The oxidation reaction may also be carried out in two stages. For example, the oxidized cellulose obtained by filtration after the completion of the first-stage reaction can be oxidized again under the same or different reaction conditions, allowing for efficient oxidation without reaction inhibition by the salt by-product of the first-stage reaction.

Another example of a carboxylation (oxidation) method is a method in which the cellulose raw material is oxidized by contacting it with an ozone-containing gas. This oxidation reaction oxidizes at least the hydroxyl groups at positions 2 and 6 of the glucopyranose ring, and decomposes the cellulose chain. The ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas is preferably 50 to 250 g/m3, more preferably 50 to 220 g/m3. The amount of ozone added to the cellulose raw material is preferably 0.1 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 5 to 30 parts by mass, based on 100 parts by mass of the solids content of the cellulose raw material. The ozone treatment temperature is preferably 0 to 50°C, more preferably 20 to 50°C. The ozone treatment time is not particularly limited, but is approximately 1 to 360 minutes, preferably 30 to 360 minutes.
When the ozone treatment conditions are within these ranges, excessive oxidation and decomposition of cellulose can be prevented, resulting in a good yield of oxidized cellulose. After the ozone treatment, a further oxidation treatment may be carried out using an oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent used in the further oxidation treatment is not particularly limited, but examples include chlorine compounds such as chlorine dioxide and sodium chlorite, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, persulfuric acid, and peracetic acid. For example, the further oxidation treatment can be carried out by dissolving these oxidizing agents in water or a polar organic solvent such as alcohol to prepare an oxidizing agent solution, and then immersing the cellulose raw material in the solution.

The amounts of carboxyl groups, carboxylate groups, and aldehyde groups in the cellulosic fiber can be adjusted by controlling the amount of the oxidizing agent added and the reaction time.
The amount of carboxyl groups can be measured, for example, by preparing 60 ml of a 0.5% by mass slurry (aqueous dispersion) of oxidized cellulose, adding 0.1 M aqueous hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to 2.5, and then measuring the electrical conductivity until the pH reaches 11 by adding 0.05 N aqueous sodium hydroxide dropwise, and calculating the amount of carboxyl groups from the amount of sodium hydroxide (a) consumed in the neutralization stage of a weak acid where the change in electrical conductivity is gradual, using the following formula:
Amount of carboxyl groups [mmol/g oxidized cellulose or cellulose nanofiber] = a [
ml] × 0.05/mass of oxidized cellulose [g]

<Carboxymethylation>
In the present invention, carboxymethylation of cellulose raw materials can be carried out using known methods and is not particularly limited. However, it is preferable to adjust the degree of carboxymethyl group substitution per anhydroglucose unit of cellulose to 0.01 to 0.50. One example of such a method is the following production method, but synthesis may also be performed using conventionally known methods, or commercially available products may be used. Cellulose is used as the raw material, and the solvent is 3 to 20 times by weight of water and/or a lower alcohol, specifically methanol, ethanol, N-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, N-butanol, isobutanol, tertiary butanol, etc., alone or in a mixture of two or more thereof. The lower alcohol is mixed in an amount of 60 to 95% by weight. The mercerizing agent is an alkali metal hydroxide, specifically sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, in an amount of 0.5 to 20 times the molar amount per anhydroglucose residue of the raw material. The starting material, solvent, and mercerizing agent are mixed and subjected to mercerization treatment at a reaction temperature of 0 to 70°C, preferably 10 to 60°C, for a reaction time of 15 minutes to 8 hours, preferably 30 minutes to 7 hours. Thereafter, a carboxymethylating agent is added at 0.05 to 10.0 times the moles per glucose residue, and an etherification reaction is carried out at a reaction temperature of 30 to 90°C, preferably 40 to 80°C, for a reaction time of 30 minutes to 10 hours, preferably 1 hour to 4 hours.

The degree of carboxymethyl substitution per glucose unit can be measured, for example, by the following method. That is, 1) Approximately 2.0 g of carboxymethylated cellulose fiber (bone dry) is weighed out and placed in a 300 mL Erlenmeyer flask with a stopper. 2) 100 mL of a solution of 100 mL of concentrated nitric acid in 1000 mL of methanol is added, and the mixture is shaken for 3 hours to convert the carboxymethyl cellulose salt (carboxymethylated cellulose) into hydrogenated carboxymethylated cellulose. 3) 1.5 to 2.0 g of hydrogenated carboxymethylated cellulose (bone dry) is weighed out and placed in a 300 mL Erlenmeyer flask with a stopper. 4) The hydrogenated carboxymethylated cellulose is moistened with 15 mL of 80% methanol, 100 mL of 0.1 N NaOH is added, and the mixture is shaken at room temperature for 3 hours. 5) Excess NaOH is back-titrated with 0.1 N H2SO4 using phenolphthalein as an indicator. 6) The degree of carboxymethyl substitution (DS) is calculated using the following formula:
A = [(100 × F' - (0.1 N HSO) (mL) × F) × 0.1] / (bone-dry mass (g) of hydrogenated carboxymethyl cellulose)
DS=0.162×A/(1-0.058×A)
A: Amount (mL) of 1 N NaOH required to neutralize 1 g of hydrogenated carboxymethyl cellulose
F': Factor of 0.1N H2SO4 F: Factor of 0.1N NaOH

<Cationization>
In the present invention, cationization of cellulose raw materials can be carried out using known methods. For example, cationization can result in the incorporation of ammonium, phosphonium, or sulfonium groups, or groups containing these ammonium, phosphonium, or sulfonium groups into cellulose molecules. Ammonium groups are preferred, and groups containing quaternary ammonium are particularly preferred. Specific cationization methods are not particularly limited. One example is the reaction of cellulose raw materials with a cationizing agent such as glycidyl trimethylammonium chloride, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrialkylammonium hydride, or a halohydrin form thereof, and an alkali metal hydroxide catalyst (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc.) in the presence of water and/or a C1-C4 alcohol, thereby obtaining cationically modified cellulose containing quaternary ammonium groups. In this method, the degree of cationic substitution per glucose unit of the resulting cationically modified cellulose can be adjusted by controlling the amount of cationizing agent added and the composition ratio of water and/or a C1-C4 alcohol. The degree of substitution here refers to the number of substituents introduced per unit structure (glucopyranose ring) constituting cellulose. In other words, it is defined as "the number of moles of introduced substituents divided by the total number of moles of hydroxyl groups on the glucopyranose ring." Because pure cellulose has three substitutable hydroxyl groups per unit structure (glucopyranose ring), the theoretical maximum degree of substitution of the cellulose fiber of the present invention is 3 (the minimum is 0).

In the present invention, the degree of cationic substitution per glucose unit of cationized cellulose is preferably 0.01 to 0.40. Introducing cationic substituents into cellulose causes electrical repulsion between cellulose molecules. Therefore, cellulose with cationic substituents introduced therein can be easily nanofibrillated. Note that if the degree of cationic substitution per glucose unit is less than 0.01, nanofibrillation is not sufficient. On the other hand, if the degree of cationic substitution per glucose unit is greater than 0.40, the cellulose may swell or dissolve, making it impossible to maintain its fiber form and resulting in failure to obtain nanofibers. The degree of cationic substitution per glucose unit can be calculated by the following formula after drying the sample (cationically modified cellulose) and measuring the nitrogen content using a TN-10 total nitrogen analyzer (Mitsubishi Chemical). The degree of substitution here refers to the average number of moles of substituents per mole of anhydroglucose unit.
Degree of cation substitution = (162 × N) / (1 - 151.6 × N)
N: Nitrogen content

<Defibrillation>
In the present invention, the defibration device is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to apply a strong shear force to the aqueous dispersion using a device such as a high-speed rotation device, a colloid mill device, a high-pressure device, a roll mill device, or an ultrasonic device. In particular, for efficient defibration, it is preferable to use a wet high-pressure or ultra-high-pressure homogenizer that can apply a pressure of 50 MPa or more to the aqueous dispersion and a strong shear force. The pressure is more preferably 100 MPa or more, and even more preferably 140 MPa or more. Furthermore, prior to the defibration and dispersion treatment with the high-pressure homogenizer, the cellulose nanofibers can be subjected to a pre-treatment, as necessary, using a known mixing, stirring, emulsifying, or dispersing device such as a high-speed shear mixer.

When defibrating using the above process, the solids concentration of the cellulose fiber raw material should be 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 0.2% by weight or more, and particularly 0.3% by weight or more, and 10% by weight or less, and particularly 6% by weight or less. If the solids concentration is too low, the amount of liquid will be too large for the amount of cellulose fiber raw material being treated, resulting in poor efficiency, while if the solids concentration is too high, fluidity will be poor.

In the present invention, the form of the cellulose nanofibers contained in the meat-like food composition is not particularly limited, and may be a cellulose nanofiber dispersion, a dried cellulose nanofiber solid, or a wet solid that is in an intermediate state between the two. In the present invention, a dried cellulose nanofiber solid refers to a dispersion containing cellulose nanofibers that has been dehydrated and dried to a moisture content of 12% or less.

Examples of dried solid cellulose nanofibers include a dried dispersion of cellulose nanofibers and a dried mixture of cellulose nanofibers and a water-soluble polymer. The latter is preferable in terms of redispersibility. Examples of water-soluble polymers include cellulose derivatives (carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, ethylcellulose), xanthan gum, xyloglucan, dextrin, dextran, carrageenan, locust bean gum, alginic acid, alginates, pullulan, starch, potato starch, arrowroot flour, cationic starch, phosphorylated starch, corn starch, gum arabic, locust bean gum, gellan gum, polydextrose, pectin, chitin, water-soluble chitin, chitosan, casein, albumin, soy protein lysate, peptone, polyvinyl alcohol, and the like. These include vinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, polysodium acrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, polyamino acids, polylactic acid, polymalic acid, polyglycerin, latex, rosin-based sizing agents, petroleum resin-based sizing agents, urea resin, melamine resin, epoxy resin, polyamide resin, polyamide-polyamine resin, polyethyleneimine, polyamine, vegetable gum, polyethylene oxide, hydrophilic crosslinked polymers, polyacrylates, starch-polyacrylic acid copolymers, tamarind gum, gellan gum, pectin, guar gum, and colloidal silica, as well as mixtures of one or more of these. Among these, carboxymethyl cellulose and its salts are preferred from the standpoint of compatibility.

From the perspective of redispersibility, the above-mentioned dried solids of cellulose nanofibers are preferably prepared by dehydrating and drying an aqueous dispersion of cellulose nanofibers or a mixture containing a cellulose nanofiber dispersion and a water-soluble polymer, after adjusting the pH to 9 to 11. When a water-soluble polymer is blended into the cellulose nanofiber dispersion, the blending amount of the water-soluble polymer is preferably 5 to 50% by weight based on the bone-dry solid content of the cellulose nanofibers. If the blending amount is less than 5% by weight, sufficient redispersibility effects will not be achieved. On the other hand, if the blending amount exceeds 50% by weight, problems such as a decrease in the viscosity characteristics and dispersion stability that are characteristic of cellulose nanofibers will occur.

The dehydration and drying method for the cellulose nanofiber dispersion or the mixture containing the cellulose nanofiber dispersion and the water-soluble polymer can be any conventional method, such as spray drying, squeezing, air drying, hot air drying, and vacuum drying. Examples of drying equipment specifically used in the method of the present invention include the following: continuous tunnel dryers, band dryers, vertical dryers, vertical turbo dryers, multi-stage disk dryers, through-flow dryers, rotary dryers, flash dryers, spray dryers, atomizing dryers, cylindrical dryers, drum dryers, screw conveyor dryers, rotary dryers with heating tubes, and vibratory transport dryers; batch-type box dryers, through-flow dryers, vacuum box dryers, and agitator dryers. These drying equipment can be used alone or in combination with two or more of these. Among these, drum dryers are preferred from the standpoint of energy efficiency, as they directly and uniformly supply heat energy to the material to be dried. Drum dryers are also preferred because they do not apply more heat than necessary and allow the dried material to be immediately recovered.

The meat-like food composition of the present invention can be obtained by pulverizing and classifying the above-mentioned dried solid material. Dry pulverization or wet pulverization is particularly preferred, as it allows for the production of finer additives. Examples of equipment used for dry pulverization include impact mills such as hammer mills and pin mills, media mills such as ball mills and tower mills, and jet mills. Examples of equipment used for wet pulverization include homogenizers, mass colloiders, and pearl mills.

<Meat-like food composition>
The meat-like food composition of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-mentioned plant-derived protein and the above-mentioned cellulose nanofiber, and having a meat material content of 30% by weight or less.

In the present invention, meat materials refer to edible meat materials from livestock (pigs, cows, sheep, goats, horses, etc.), poultry (chickens, quail, ducks, wild ducks, geese, turkeys, etc.), and birds and animals such as deer and wild boar. The meat materials mentioned above include not only so-called meat (muscle), but also tissues commonly used in processed meat foods, such as skin, fat, tendons, cartilage, internal organs, and blood.

The meat-like food composition of the present invention can reproduce the excellent texture of meat even without containing any meat ingredients. In order to obtain the benefit of being edible even by people who do not eat meat for various reasons, it is preferable to keep the meat ingredient content as low as possible; for example, the meat ingredient content is preferably 20% by weight or less, and more preferably 10% by weight or less. It is even more preferable to contain no meat ingredients at all (0% by weight of meat ingredients). However, in order to maintain constant costs, supply stability, and quality stability of the meat ingredients, it is possible to contain meat ingredients as long as the amount is below a certain level.

The plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofiber contained in the meat-like food composition of the present invention preferably have a plant-derived protein:cellulose nanofiber ratio of 60-99.5% by weight to 0.5-40% by weight, more preferably a plant-derived protein:cellulose nanofiber ratio of 70-99% by weight to 1-30% by weight, and even more preferably a plant-derived protein:cellulose nanofiber ratio of 80-98.5% by weight to 1.5-20% by weight (where the total weight of the plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofiber is 100% by weight). By meeting these ranges, the excellent meat-like texture can be further enhanced, and the superior water retention properties can improve workability, etc.

There are no particular restrictions on the other ingredients used in the meat-like food composition of the present invention, and, as with regular processed meat foods, other additives can be used depending on the desired flavor, texture, physical properties, appearance, etc. For example, thickeners such as methylcellulose, vegetables, animal proteins other than meat (eggs, dairy products, etc.), seasonings, grain flours including breadcrumbs, starches, dietary fiber, thickening polysaccharides, oils and fats, sugars, salts, spices, colorings, preservatives, etc. can be used.

Of these, methylcellulose is preferably used in combination, as it can impart a good, elastic texture to the meat-like food composition.

The methylcellulose contained in such a meat-like food composition is preferably adjusted to a range of cellulose nanofiber:methylcellulose = 10-90 wt%:90-10 wt%, more preferably a range of cellulose nanofiber:methylcellulose = 30-90 wt%:70-10 wt%, and even more preferably a range of cellulose nanofiber:methylcellulose = 50-90 wt%:10-50 wt%.
By blending methylcellulose within this range, it is possible to obtain a more elastic, meat-like texture while still achieving the effects of the present invention.

Furthermore, the meat-like food composition of the present invention preferably contains 20% by weight or more of plant-derived protein relative to the total solid content, more preferably 25% by weight or more, and even more preferably 27% by weight or more. The upper limit is preferably 90% by weight or less, more preferably 80% by weight or less, and even more preferably 70% by weight or less. In addition to the plant-derived protein, it is preferable to use an appropriate amount of the additives described above in the meat-like food composition, as this will allow for a more meat-like texture and flavor to be reproduced.

The aforementioned raw materials of the meat-like food composition of the present invention can be kneaded together. There are no particular restrictions on the kneading method, but in order to obtain an excellent meat-like texture and water retention, it is preferable to knead the cellulose nanofibers as uniformly as possible with the plant-derived protein.

<Meat-like processed foods>
The meat-like food composition of the present invention thus obtained can be molded into various shapes, and by heat treatment, meat-like processed foods can be obtained, such as sausages, hamburgers, meatballs, pressed ham, chopped ham, salami, nuggets, minced meat cutlets, cabbage rolls, meatloaf, terrines, meatballs, meat buns, dumplings, shumai, and formed meat.

The meat-like processed food of the present invention is a meat-like food composition containing plant-derived protein and cellulose nanofiber, and can be manufactured in the same form as conventional meat processed foods, except that the meat material content is 30% by mass or less, and similar manufacturing methods can also be used.

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

<Production of carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibers>
200 g of pulp (NBKP (softwood bleached kraft pulp), manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) was added to a mixer capable of mixing pulp, and 111 g of sodium hydroxide was added to a dry mass of 20% (w/v). Water was then added to the mixture to adjust the pulp solids to 20% (w/v). After stirring at 30°C for 30 minutes, 216 g of sodium monochloroacetate (active ingredient equivalent) was added. After stirring for 30 minutes, the mixture was heated to 70°C and stirred for 1 hour. The reaction mixture was then removed, neutralized, and washed to obtain a carboxymethylated pulp with a carboxymethyl substitution degree of 0.25 per glucose unit. The carboxymethylated pulp was then adjusted to a solids content of 1% with water and defibrated by treating it five times in a high-pressure homogenizer at 20°C and 150 MPa to obtain carboxymethylated cellulose fibers. The resulting fibers had an average fiber diameter of 15 nm and an aspect ratio of 50.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (product name: F350HC-4, manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) was added to a 0.7 wt% aqueous suspension of the above carboxymethylated cellulose fibers (cellulose nanofibers) at a concentration of 10 wt% relative to the cellulose nanofibers, and the mixture was stirred for 60 minutes using a TK homomixer (12,000 rpm). This aqueous suspension was then added with 0.5% aqueous sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH to 9, after which it was dried in a drum dryer D0405 (manufactured by Katsuragi Kogyo) at a steam pressure of 0.5 MPa.G and a drum rotation speed of 2 rpm, yielding a dry solid mixture of cellulose nanofibers and carboxymethyl cellulose with a moisture content of 5 wt%. The dried solid was then pulverized in a dry mill to obtain the additive cellulose nanofibers used in the present invention.

(Examples 1 and 2, Comparative Example 1)
Cold water was added to soy protein (New Fujipro SHE, manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) and stirred at the blending ratio (total amount 100 g) shown in Table 1. Once thoroughly mixed, canola oil was added little by little while stirring to emulsify, forming emulsion curd, which was then packed into bags and stored in a refrigerator for 3 hours or more to obtain emulsified soybean curd.
Using the obtained soybean curd, soybean curd, granular soy protein dissolved in an appropriate amount of water, sauteed onions, shortening, and other ingredients showing the liquid properties shown in Table 2 were added in an aluminum bowl in the blending ratio shown in Table 2 (total amount 500 g), and the mixture was thoroughly stirred.
Thereafter, the remaining ingredients having the powder properties shown in Table 2 were added and thoroughly stirred until the mixture became sticky, to obtain a meat-like food composition.
The obtained meat-like food composition was kneaded by hand, while visually checking the state of adhesion to the wall of the aluminum bowl and the hands.

The meat-like food composition was divided into 80 g portions and formed into hamburger steak shapes.
Hamburger-shaped meat-like food composition 1 was heated on an iron plate at 220°C for 1 minute to brown both sides, and then steamed in a convection oven (temperature 85°C/15 minutes) to obtain meatless hamburgers containing no meat ingredient in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1. The obtained meatless hamburgers and meat-like food compositions were evaluated as follows.

<Workability>
The meat-like food composition was kneaded in an aluminum bowl with hands wearing rubber gloves, while the amount of adhesion to the wall of the aluminum bowl and the amount of adhesion to the rubber gloves was visually confirmed and evaluated according to the following criteria.
⊚: Due to strong water retention, the meat-like food composition is easily aggregated, and the amount of adhesion to the aluminum bowl wall or rubber gloves is small.
Good: The meat-like food composition has water retention properties, is easily held together, and adhesion to the aluminum bowl wall and rubber gloves is suppressed.
×: The water retention is poor and the meat-like food composition is sticky, so that adhesion to the wall of the aluminum bowl and rubber gloves is observed.

<Hamburg steak texture>
The obtained meatless hamburger steak was tasted by five panelists, who evaluated the texture according to the following criteria and calculated the average.
◎: The granular texture of the soy protein is clearly felt, and the texture is very elastic.
〇: It has the texture of meaty soy protein, and has a texture similar to that of a hamburger steak.
×: The texture is slimy and lacks the granular texture of soy protein.

<Water/oil separation when heated after frozen storage>
The obtained meatless hamburger steak was frozen and stored in a freezer (-18°C) for 12 hours. After that, the hamburger steak was taken out, thawed and heated in a microwave oven (600W), and the state of water and oil separation on the surface of the hamburger steak was visually confirmed.
◯: Some water and oil separation was observed on the surface of the hamburger steak, but the amount was small.
×: Separation of water and oil from the surface of the hamburger steak is observed.

*Granular soy protein...New Fujinic 25N:New Fujinic 43N=7:3 blend

Claims (3)

A meat-like food composition containing a plant-derived protein, carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibers, and methylcellulose,
The content of meat material is 10% by mass or less,
the carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber has a degree of carboxymethyl substitution per glucose unit of 0.01 to 0.50;
A meat-like food composition characterized by comprising a mixture of carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibers, methyl cellulose, and methyl cellulose in the ranges of 50-90% by weight, and 10-50% by weight. 2. The meat-like food composition according to claim 1 , wherein the plant-derived protein is a soybean-derived protein. A meat-like processed food comprising the meat-like food composition according to any one of claims 1 and 2 .