JP7804645B2 - Batter mix for breaded fried foods and method for producing same, batter for breaded fried foods and method for producing breaded fried foods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a batter mix that is used in combination with breadcrumbs when producing breaded fried foods.

Fried foods are foods made by frying ingredients made from various ingredients. While some deep-fried foods are made by frying ingredients directly without coating them in a batter, most are battered deep-fried foods, made by cooking ingredients with a batter on the surface. By heating the battered ingredients in high-temperature oil, the batter that comes into direct contact with the oil has a unique crispy texture and flavor, while the ingredients inside are cooked as if steamed inside the batter, resulting in concentrated umami. The batter used to make battered deep-fried foods is usually in powder form at room temperature and pressure, but can be classified into several types depending on the form in which it is applied to the ingredients. Typical types include blender types, in which the powder is applied to the surface of the ingredients, and batter types, in which the batter is mixed with liquid to form a liquid batter and then applied to the surface of the ingredients.

Breaded fried foods such as pork cutlets, croquettes, and fried shrimp are deep-fried foods made by applying batter and breadcrumbs to the ingredients, followed by deep-frying. They differ from non-breaded fried foods such as tempura and fried chicken in that they use breadcrumbs as the coating. Non-breaded deep-frying batters must meet the quality requirements for deep-fried food coatings (such as a crispy texture) because the batter layer formed by deep-frying the batter itself forms the main part of the coating. In contrast, batters for breaded fried foods do not generally require texture in themselves, and their main role is to improve the adhesion between the breadcrumbs and the ingredients.

In recent years, growing health consciousness has led to increased demand for wheat bran, which is rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, wheat bran has a hard texture and is difficult to grind, so the particles tend to be relatively large. In addition, it has a distinctive grain odor, so foods containing it have problems such as a rough texture, a harsh taste, and a strong unpleasant odor.

Patent Document 1 describes a batter-type coating material that can be used for breaded fried foods, which is made from a granulated product of finely pulverized dietary fiber material, and states that wheat fiber prepared from wheat bran is preferred as the dietary fiber material. The coating material described in Patent Document 1 is expected to provide various physiologically active effects of dietary fiber, and is also said to produce fried foods with a crispy, smooth texture.

Furthermore, fried foods tend to lose their crispness and deteriorate over time after frying due to factors such as moisture from the ingredients transferring to the batter. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that can solve the problem of fried foods deteriorating over time, namely a batter composition for fried foods containing a specific ratio of water-insoluble polysaccharides such as wheat fiber and water-soluble polysaccharides such as guar gum, and in the examples, this composition is used as a batter mix for pork cutlets.

Patent Document 3 describes a mix for deep-frying batter containing hydrated roasted bran. The "hydrated roasting" described here refers to heat treatment in which moisture is added before and/or during heating, and it is said that this hydrated roasting reduces the grain odor and harshness characteristic of bran. The mix described in Patent Document 3 can be used as a batter, and deep-fried foods made using it are said to have a good crispness, a good texture, a dry feel, and not be oily.

Patent Document 4 describes the inclusion of heat-treated wheat bran in meat products, such as livestock meat products and fish paste products, by kneading the heat-treated wheat bran into the meat product to reduce the odor. Patent Document 4 also describes that soft wheat, such as Australian Standard White, is preferred as a source of wheat bran, and that moist heat treatment can be used as a method for heat-treating wheat bran. Patent Document 4 does not specifically describe battered fried foods, and therefore does not address issues specific to battered fried foods, such as oiliness and crispiness of the batter.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-151843 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-17284 JP 2018-174838 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50568

After conducting various studies into improving batter mixes for breaded fried foods, the inventors discovered that when wheat bran is added to the batter mix for purposes such as nutritional enrichment or wheat flavor, moisture tends to migrate more easily from the ingredients to the batter, causing the batter to lose its crispness over time, and thus reducing the resistance of breaded fried foods to deterioration over time, compared to batter mixes that do not contain wheat bran. No technology has yet been provided that takes advantage of the properties of wheat bran while solving the problem of deterioration over time that is unique to breaded fried foods, and that can provide breaded fried foods that maintain their crispness and are not oily even when stored at room temperature for a certain period of time after frying.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of producing breaded fried foods that contain nutritious wheat bran while minimizing the deterioration in taste and texture that is caused by wheat bran, are crisp and less oily, and are resistant to deterioration over time.

The present invention relates to a batter mix for breaded fried foods, which is used as an ingredient for the batter in breaded fried foods, which are made by covering ingredients with batter and breadcrumbs and then cooking them, and which contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat.

The present invention also relates to a method for producing a batter mix for breaded fried foods, which is used as an ingredient in the batter for breaded fried foods, which are made by covering ingredients with batter and breadcrumbs and then cooking them, and which contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat.The method for producing a batter mix for breaded fried foods includes the steps of: harvesting wheat bran from white wheat; heat-treating the wheat bran to obtain heat-treated wheat bran; and mixing the heat-treated wheat bran with other ingredients.

The present invention also provides a batter for breaded fried foods, which comprises the batter mix for breaded fried foods of the present invention and a liquid.
The present invention also provides a method for producing breaded fried foods, which comprises the steps of mixing the batter mix for breaded fried foods of the present invention with a liquid to obtain a batter, applying the batter and breadcrumbs to ingredients in that order, and then cooking the ingredients.

The batter mix for breaded fried foods of the present invention contains wheat bran. By including nutritious wheat bran in the batter mix for breaded fried foods, it is expected that the nutritional value of the breaded fried foods will be enhanced, and the breaded fried foods will be given a wheat-like aroma, thereby improving the flavor, taste, and texture of the breaded fried foods.

In this specification, "wheat" refers to the caryopsis of plants of the genus Triticum in the family Poaceae. Generally, wheat caryopsis (wheat kernels) are broadly divided into the endosperm, the husk (the outer layer and seed coat), and the germ (the embryo). Wheat kernels are crushed, and the endosperm and germ are removed to obtain a fraction derived from the husk, which becomes wheat bran.

At least a portion of the wheat bran used in the present invention is heat-treated wheat bran obtained by subjecting wheat bran to heat treatment. Compared to wheat bran that has not been heat-treated, heat-treated wheat bran has reduced the unpleasant grain odor and harsh taste that are characteristic of wheat bran, making it suitable as an ingredient in batter mixes.

Whether wheat bran has been heat-treated can be determined, for example, by measuring the enzyme activity or gluten vitality of the wheat bran to be evaluated. Specifically, taking enzyme activity as an example, the enzyme activity of heat-treated wheat bran is lower or below the detection limit compared to that of unheated wheat bran, so the two can be distinguished based on the amount of enzyme activity.

The heat treatment applied to the heat-treated wheat bran used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a treatment that can raise the product temperature of untreated wheat bran to room temperature or higher. Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran include moist heat treatment and dry heat treatment.
Moisture-heat treatment is a treatment in which the moisture content of the treatment target (wheat bran) is maintained or moisture is supplied from the outside to heat the treatment target. In the moist heat treatment, moisture such as water, saturated steam, or superheated steam can be supplied and used. The heating method in the moist heat treatment is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which moisture is added to the treatment target in a sealed environment and then a heat medium such as hot air is brought into direct contact with the treatment target, a method in which high-temperature steam is brought into contact with the treatment target and heated by the latent heat of condensation, and a method in which the treatment target is heated in a high-humidity atmosphere.
Dry heat treatment is a process in which the object to be treated (wheat bran) is heated under conditions in which no moisture is added, and is a heat treatment carried out while actively evaporating the moisture in the object to be treated. Dry heat treatment can be carried out, for example, by heating in an oven, heating in a roasting kiln, heating using a thermostatic bath, heating by blowing hot air, or leaving in a high-temperature, low-humidity environment. Note that the process of drying wheat bran to which moisture has been added by blowing hot air is not included in dry heat treatment because sufficient heat is not applied to the object to be treated due to the latent heat of evaporation of moisture.

In the present invention, the most preferred heat treatment for wheat bran is moist heat treatment. That is, at least a portion of the wheat bran used in the present invention is preferably moist heat-treated wheat bran. As shown in the examples below, moist heat-treated wheat bran reduces the harshness characteristic of wheat bran when used in breaded fried foods , and can increase the crispness and reduce the oiliness of breaded fried foods compared to dry heat-treated wheat bran.

The present invention is characterized in that at least a part, preferably all, of the heat-treated wheat bran used is heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat.
Generally, wheat is roughly divided into two types, red wheat and white wheat, depending on the color observed when the wheat kernel is visually inspected. Red wheat is wheat that contains a red pigment in the outer skin, and the wheat kernel is observed as red, reddish-brown, or brown when visually inspected. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat that contains almost no red pigment in the outer skin, and the wheat kernel is observed as white or pale yellow when visually inspected.
As mentioned above, when wheat bran is added to a batter mix for breaded fried foods, the resistance of the breaded fried foods to deterioration over time tends to decrease. However, when the wheat bran is heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, the deterioration of the resistance of the breaded fried foods to deterioration over time is suppressed compared to when heat-treated wheat bran derived from red wheat is used, and breaded fried foods that maintain their crispness and are not oily can be reliably obtained even when stored at room temperature for a certain period of time after frying. In particular, moist heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is preferred because it reliably achieves the desired effects of the present invention.

Examples of white wheat include Australian Standard White (ASW, produced in Australia), Prime Hard (PH, produced in Australia), Soft White (SW, produced in the United States), and Western White (WW, produced in the United States), which are common wheats. In this application, ASW refers to Australian Standard White Noodle Blend (ASWN blend; ASWNB). Another example of white wheat that is not common wheat is durum wheat (produced in various countries around the world). These white wheats can be appropriately selected, for example, based on genetic characteristics. The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from common wheat or durum wheat. Furthermore, common wheat is broadly divided into three types depending on the hardness of the wheat kernel: hard wheat, soft wheat, and medium wheat, which has a hardness intermediate between hard and soft wheat. However, the wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from any of the common wheats. For example, PH is white wheat and hard wheat, ASW is white wheat and medium wheat, and WW is white wheat and soft wheat.

Among white wheat varieties, ASW is particularly preferred. In other words, the wheat bran used in the present invention is particularly preferably moist heat-treated wheat bran derived from ASW. ASW is a type of wheat primarily used for noodles (especially udon), and has rarely been used for this type of coating material. Furthermore, the endosperm fraction (wheat flour) is the main component derived from ASW, and the bran fraction is rarely used. It is difficult to imagine from the common general technical knowledge in this field that using the bran fraction of ASW, which is traditionally used for noodles, in a batter mix for breaded fried foods would improve the resistance to deterioration over time of breaded fried foods.

The average particle size of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of further improving the texture (crispyness) and appearance of the coating of breaded fried foods, it is preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, and even more preferably 120 μm or less. The term "average particle size" as used here refers to the volume-cumulative particle size D50 at 50% of the cumulative volume when measured dry using a laser diffraction/scattering particle size analyzer (e.g., the Microtrac Particle Size Analyzer 9200FRA manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

The content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in the batter mix of the present invention can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of breaded fried food to be produced using the batter mix, and is not particularly limited. Generally, however, it is preferably 1 to 15% by mass, and more preferably 3 to 10% by mass, based on the total mass of the batter mix. If the content is too low, there is little point in using it, while if the content is too high, the effect of the wheat bran may be so strong that it may be difficult to eliminate the disadvantages of wheat bran, such as reduced resistance to deterioration over time and a harsh taste.

The batter mix of the present invention typically contains one or more types of cereal flour other than heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat. In this specification, "cereal flour" refers to a substance derived from a grain that is powdery at room temperature and normal pressure, and is a concept that includes cereal flour and starch. Unless otherwise specified, "starch" here refers to "pure starch" isolated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from starch that is inherently contained in cereal flour.
Examples of cereal flour include wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium flour, soft flour, durum wheat flour, whole wheat flour, etc.), buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, adlay flour, barnyard millet flour, and foxtail millet flour. The above-mentioned heat-treated wheat bran is a type of cereal flour.
Examples of starches include starches (raw starches) such as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting the raw starches to one or more of the following treatments: oil/fat processing, gelatinization, etherification, esterification, acetylation, cross-linking, and oxidation.

The total content of grain flours, including heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, in the batter mix of the present invention can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of breaded fried food to be produced using the batter mix, and is not particularly limited. Generally, however, it is preferably 60 to 100% by mass, and more preferably 65 to 100% by mass, based on the total mass of the batter mix.

The batter mix of the present invention preferably contains starch from the viewpoints of improving the binding between breadcrumbs and ingredients, improving durability over time, etc. The starch is preferably a modified starch, and specific examples of modified starch include phosphate cross-linked starch, oxidized starch, acetylated starch, and starches obtained by subjecting these starches to oil or fat processing.
The starch content in the batter mix of the present invention is preferably 5 to 90% by mass, more preferably 10 to 80% by mass, based on the total mass of the batter mix.

The batter mix of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the grain flours, as needed. These other ingredients can be any of those typically used in batter mixes for breaded fried foods, without particular limitations. Examples include protein ingredients such as soy protein, wheat gluten, egg powder, and skim milk powder; fats and oils such as animal and vegetable oils and powdered oils; yam flour, dietary fiber, leavening agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, salt, sugars, sweeteners, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, colorings, flavorings, and dextrin. These ingredients can be used alone or in combination, depending on the type of breaded fried food being produced. The content of these other ingredients is preferably approximately 30% by weight or less of the total weight of the batter mix of the present invention.

The batter mix of the present invention is in powder form at room temperature and pressure, and when used, it is mixed with liquid to form a liquid or paste-like batter, which is then applied to the surface of the ingredients. Breadcrumbs are then applied to the battered ingredients, and the ingredients are then cooked by frying or other means to produce breaded fried foods.

The batter mix of the present invention can be used to produce a variety of breaded fried foods, such as pork cutlets, croquettes, minced meat cutlets, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried oysters, and the like.
The ingredients for the breaded fried food are not particularly limited, and various ingredients can be used, such as livestock meats such as chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and goat; seafood such as squid, octopus, shrimp, horse mackerel, salmon, mackerel, and flounder; grains such as soybeans, rice, carrots, onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes; vegetables; root vegetables; and processed products thereof. Before applying the batter prepared from the batter mix of the present invention to the ingredients, the ingredients may be seasoned, or may be coated with flour, beaten egg, or the like, as needed.

A preferred example of the composition of the batter mix of the present invention is the following mix composition A. Mix composition A is particularly suitable for breaded fried meat foods.
(Mix composition A)
Heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat: preferably 1 to 15% by mass, more preferably 3 to 10% by mass
Wheat flour (grain flour other than wheat bran): preferably 10 to 80% by mass, more preferably 15 to 70% by mass
Starch: preferably 10 to 80% by mass, more preferably 15 to 70% by mass

Next, we will explain the method for producing the batter mix for breaded fried foods of the present invention. Regarding this production method, we will mainly explain the differences from the batter mix of the present invention described above. Where there is no specific explanation for this production method, the explanation for the batter mix described above applies as appropriate.

The method for producing a batter mix of the present invention uses white wheat such as ASW as wheat, and includes a step of extracting wheat bran from the white wheat (bran preparation step).
The bran preparation step can be carried out according to a conventional method. Typically, selected white wheat kernels are hydrated and tempered as necessary, then pulverized, and the pulverized material is sorted using a sifter, purifier, or the like to remove the endosperm and germ. The method for pulverizing wheat kernels is not particularly limited, and examples include roll pulverization and impact pulverization, and a combination of multiple pulverization methods may also be used. The pulverizer used for impact pulverization is not particularly limited as long as it pulverizes by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor, and examples include turbo mills and blade mills, with turbo mills being particularly preferred.
A preferred example of a method for crushing wheat kernels in the bran preparation step is a method in which roll crushing and impact crushing are carried out in that order. In this case, the number of roll crushing steps may be one or more.

The method for producing a batter mix of the present invention includes a step of heat-treating wheat bran derived from harvested white wheat (heat treatment step) to obtain heat-treated wheat bran. The heat treatment method for wheat bran is not particularly limited, and may be moist heat treatment or dry heat treatment, but as mentioned above, moist heat treatment is particularly preferred. When moist heat treatment is performed in the heat treatment step, water is not added to the wheat bran to be treated, and the wheat bran is not immersed in water as in steaming.
Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran in the heat treatment step include 1) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a moist heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 80°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "moist heat treatment A"), and 2) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a dry heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 110°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "dry heat treatment A").

In the moist heat treatment A, the wheat bran to be treated is placed in an enclosed space, saturated steam is introduced into the enclosed space, and the temperature of the wheat bran is maintained at preferably 80 to 98°C, more preferably 85 to 98°C, for preferably 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably 3 to 60 seconds.
The moist heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing wheat bran, which is the material to be treated, and saturated steam into a powder heating device described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2784505, so as to achieve the above-mentioned product temperature and treatment time. This powder heating device is equipped with a cylindrical pressure vessel having an inlet for saturated steam and containing the material to be treated, and stirring means having a plurality of rod-shaped blades on a rotating shaft, the dimensions of which are close to the inner diameter of the cylinder, so as to stir the powder introduced through an inlet at one end of the vessel and transport it toward an outlet at the other end of the vessel.

In the dry heat treatment A, the product temperature of the wheat bran to be treated is preferably 110 to 180 ° C, more preferably 115 to 150 ° C, and the treatment time (the time during which such product temperature is maintained) is preferably 3 to 120 minutes, more preferably 5 to 90 minutes.
Dry heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing wheat bran into an apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A, and adjusting the product temperature and treatment time to the above-mentioned range. This heat treatment stirring apparatus includes a cylindrical container for accommodating the material to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source for supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, and is configured so that heat transfer generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw is transmitted to the material to be treated via the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, thereby performing dry heat treatment.

The method for producing a batter mix of the present invention may include a step of pulverizing the heat-treated wheat bran obtained in the heat treatment step (fine grinding step) after the heat treatment step and before the mixing step described below. The method for pulverizing the heat-treated wheat bran in the fine grinding step is not particularly limited, but impact grinding is preferred.

The method for producing a batter mix of the present invention includes a step (mixing step) of mixing the heat-treated wheat bran obtained through the heat treatment step and, if necessary, the fine grinding step with other ingredients. In the mixing step, flours other than the heat-treated wheat bran, such as wheat flour and starch, are mixed with ingredients other than the grain flour, such as seasonings, if necessary, to obtain the desired batter mix. The batter mix obtained in this manner is a dry powder, and its moisture content is usually about 15% by mass or less.

The present invention includes a liquid or paste-like batter for breaded fried foods, which comprises the batter mix of the present invention and a liquid. The batter of the present invention will be described mainly in terms of differences from the batter mix of the present invention. Where the batter of the present invention is not specifically described, the description of the batter mix of the present invention applies as appropriate.
The liquid contained in the batter of the present invention is generally water, but the type is not particularly limited, and for example, an aqueous liquid containing oil and/or seasoning, milk, stock, broth, etc. can also be used.
When producing the batter of the present invention, the mixing ratio of the batter mix of the present invention to the liquid may be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of breaded fried food to be produced, and is not particularly limited, but is generally preferably 40 to 500 parts by mass, more preferably 50 to 350 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the batter mix.

The present invention includes a method for producing breaded fried foods using the batter mix of the present invention. The method for producing breaded fried foods of the present invention will be described mainly in terms of differences from the batter mix of the present invention. For points not specifically described in the method for producing breaded fried foods of the present invention, the description of the batter mix of the present invention above applies as appropriate.
The method for producing breaded fried foods of the present invention includes the steps of mixing the batter mix of the present invention with a liquid to obtain a batter, successively applying the batter and breadcrumbs to ingredients, and then cooking the ingredients.
The most common method for cooking battered ingredients is deep frying, but other cooking methods such as baking can also be used.
The method for applying the batter to the ingredients is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a method in which the ingredients are immersed in the batter, or a method in which the batter is sprayed, applied or dropped onto the ingredients.
As the breadcrumbs, any breadcrumbs that can be used for this type of breaded fried food can be used without any particular limitation. Breadcrumbs typically refer to bread made by preparing bread dough, baking the bread, pulverizing it, and aligning the particles using a sieve or the like. In the present invention, any commonly used breadcrumbs, such as fresh breadcrumbs, semi-dry breadcrumbs, dry breadcrumbs, cracker breadcrumbs, etc., can be used.

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

[Examples A1 to A10, Comparative Example A1, Reference Examples A1 to A2, and Control Examples A1 to A7: Production of Pork Cutlet Batter Mix]
Various wheat varieties were selected and crushed in a roll crusher. The wheat bran extracted from the crushed material was crushed by impact crushing using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated according to the method shown in Tables 1 and 2 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was crushed using an impact crusher (Hosokawa Micron Corporation, ACM Pulverizer), and the crushed material was classified using a 150 μm mesh sieve to separate the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve. For Example A6, the bran was classified using a 212 μm mesh sieve to separate the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 212 μm that passed through the sieve. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be incorporated into the batter mix, and the components listed in the "Mix" column of Tables 1 and 2 were mixed to prepare the desired batter mix for pork cutlet.

The details of the raw materials used in the production of the batter mix are as follows:
・1CW: Western Red Spring 1, Canadian red wheat ・PH: Prime Hard, Australian white wheat ・WW: Western White, US white wheat ・ASW: Australian Standard White , Australian white wheat ・Wheat flour: Soft flour, Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., product name "Flour"
Modified starch: phosphate cross-linked starch, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd., product name "TP-2"

Details of each treatment described in the "Heat Treatment Method" column of each table are as follows.
"Moist heat treatment": The moist heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the powder heating apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 2784505. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, saturated steam was introduced into the container, and the moist heat treatment was carried out under conditions where the wheat bran product temperature was maintained at 90°C for 5 seconds.
"Dry heat treatment": The dry heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, and the dry heat treatment was carried out under conditions in which the product temperature of the wheat bran was maintained at 120°C for 25 minutes.

[Evaluation test: production and evaluation of pork cutlet]
A batter was prepared by mixing 100 g of the batter mix to be evaluated with 250 cc of water. 85 g of pork shoulder loin meat was coated with an appropriate amount of flour, and the prepared batter was applied, followed by fresh breadcrumbs. Salad oil was added to an oil bath and heated to 160°C. The meat with the fresh breadcrumbs was immersed in the oil and deep-fried for 7 minutes to produce pork cutlets. The pork cutlets were removed from the oil bath and drained. Two types of pork cutlets were prepared: one immediately after production and one left in the same environment for 5 minutes. Ten expert panelists tasted the pork cutlets and evaluated their flavor (oiliness), taste (harshness), and texture (crispyness) according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The values in the "Pork Cutlet Evaluation" column in Tables 1 and 2 are the arithmetic mean values of the evaluation scores of 10 expert panelists. The control example for each Example and Comparative Example in Table 1 is Control Example A1. In Table 2, the control example for Reference Example A1 is Control Example A2, the control example for Example A7 is Control Example A3, the control example for Example A8 is Control Example A4, the control example for Example A5 is Control Example A1, the control example for Example A9 is Control Example A5, the control example for Example A10 is Control Example A6, and the control example for Reference Example A2 is Control Example A7.

<Flavor (oiliness) evaluation criteria>
5 points: Less oily than the control.
4 points: Slightly less oily than the control.
3 points: Feels oily as much as the control.
2 points: Slightly oilier than the control.
1 point: Oilier than the control.
<Evaluation criteria for taste (bitterness)>
5 points: The harshness of the bran is weaker than that of the control.
4 points: The harshness of the bran is slightly weaker than in the control example.
3 points: The same bitterness of the bran as in the control sample is felt.
2 points: The harshness of the bran is slightly stronger than in the control.
1 point: The bran has a stronger bitter taste than the control.
<Evaluation criteria for texture (crispy)>
5 points: Lighter crispness than the control, and brittle to the teeth.
4 points: Slightly crispier than the control, and slightly brittle.
3 points: Crispy and brittle to the same extent as the control.
2 points: Slightly less crispy and softer than the control, or harder and less brittle to the teeth.
1 point: Less crispy and softer than the control, or harder and not brittle to the teeth.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the mixes of the Examples contain heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat (PH, WW, or ASW), and therefore the flavor, taste, and texture of the pork cutlets were superior to those of the Control and Comparative Examples, which do not meet these requirements. It also shows that moist heat treatment is preferable to dry heat treatment as a heat treatment method for wheat bran. It also shows that ASW is particularly preferable among white wheats. Furthermore, Table 2 shows a tendency for the flavor, taste, and texture to be highly rated not only for pork cutlets immediately after production, but also for pork cutlets four hours after production, indicating that the mixes of the Examples produce breaded fried foods that are less likely to deteriorate over time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to produce breaded fried foods that contain nutritious wheat bran while suppressing the deterioration in taste and texture caused by wheat bran, have a crispy texture with reduced oiliness, and are resistant to deterioration over time.

Claims (8)

In a breaded fried food product obtained by heating and cooking ingredients coated with batter and breadcrumbs, the batter mix used as a raw material for the batter contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat ,
The batter mix for breaded fried foods contains 1 to 15% by mass of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat . The batter mix for breaded fried foods according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is a moist heat treatment. A batter mix for breaded fried foods according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the white wheat is Australian Standard White. The batter mix for breaded fried foods according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat has an average particle size of 200 μm or less. A method for producing a batter mix for breaded fried foods, which is prepared by applying batter and breadcrumbs to ingredients and cooking the resulting mixture, the batter mix being used as an ingredient of the batter and containing heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, the content of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat being 1 to 15% by mass ;
A process of extracting wheat bran from white wheat;
A step of heat-treating the wheat bran to obtain heat-treated wheat bran;
and mixing the heat-treated wheat bran with other ingredients. The method for producing batter mix for breaded fried food according to claim 5, wherein the heat treatment is the moist heat treatment, that is, the wheat bran to be treated is placed in an airtight space, and saturated steam is introduced into the airtight space, and the temperature of the wheat bran is maintained at 80 to 98 ℃ for 1 to 60 seconds. A batter for breaded fried foods, comprising the batter mix for breaded fried foods according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a liquid. A method for producing breaded fried foods, comprising the steps of: mixing the batter mix for breaded fried foods according to any one of claims 1 to 4 with a liquid to obtain a batter; successively applying the batter and breadcrumbs to ingredients; and then cooking the ingredients.