JP7817532B2 - Puffed snacks and their manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to puffed snack foods with a high protein content and a method for producing the same.

Puffed snacks generally refer to snacks made by frying or other methods of frying dough made primarily from starch-based grain flour, and puffing the dough. Because they contain a lot of starch and fat, many consumers are concerned about the high sugar, fat, and calorie content.

To cater to such health-conscious consumers, healthy snacks such as non-fried snacks expanded using an extruder and snacks that offer high protein intakes have been launched onto the market. In particular, high-protein snacks made with soy protein are widely sold around the world. However, snacks that primarily use soy protein still face challenges, such as poor texture and melt-in-the-mouth feel, as well as the unpleasant odor and taste of soy.

On the other hand, puffed foods made from collagen have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, issues with foods made from collagen include the unpleasant odor and taste that come with collagen, and the poor texture that results from the collagen absorbing moisture from the mouth and sticking to the teeth when eaten, and Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not mention or suggest solutions to these issues. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 requires the addition of a large amount of water to a small amount of powdered raw material, which must be evaporated (for example, in Example 1, the powder supply rate (feed rate) is 22.0 g/min and the water addition rate is 25 g/min), resulting in very limited production capacity.

Furthermore, in the examples of Patent Document 1, puffed foods are prepared by frying in soybean oil or the like, but in this case, the food is high in fat and calories. In the examples of Patent Document 2, starch, processed starch, or other starches are blended in equal or greater amounts than collagen, so the puffed food cannot be said to be high in protein.

Patent No. 4564475 Patent No. 5189511

The object of the present invention is to provide a puffed snack food that has a high protein content of collagen and soy protein while having reduced unpleasant odors and tastes, and a method for producing the same.

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that a puffed snack containing collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction, granular soy protein, and one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and salts thereof as essential ingredients, and obtained by subjecting the snack to pressurized heating in an extruder, has a high content of proteins such as collagen and soy protein, while reducing the unpleasant odor and unpleasant taste associated with each of these proteins, thereby completing the present invention.

That is, the gist of the present invention is
[1] a) 40 to 80% by weight of collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction
b) Granular soy protein 10-50% by weight
c) 2 to 20% by weight of one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and salts thereof
a puffed snack food that has been pressurized and heated by an extruder and has a final moisture content of 0 to 5% by weight;
[2] The puffed snack food according to [1], wherein the protein content is 50% by weight or more and the carbohydrate content is 20% by weight or less.
[3] A method for producing the puffed snack food according to [1] or [2] above, characterized in that a mixture containing collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction, granular soy protein, one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine and salts thereof, and water is pressurized and heated in an extruder to puff the snack food.

The puffed snacks of the present invention have excellent nutritional properties due to their high content of proteins such as collagen and soy protein, and also have excellent palatability due to the reduced unpleasant odor and taste of collagen and soy protein.

The present invention is described in more detail below.

The puffed snack food of the present invention contains three essential ingredients: a) collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction, b) granular soy protein, and c) one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and salts thereof.

In the present invention, puffed snacks refer to snacks in which the dough mixture is expanded by heat treatment under pressure using an extruder, forming a porous structure containing air within the dough.

a) Collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction Collagen is a protein that mainly constitutes the dermis, bones, tendons, etc. of vertebrates. The collagen used as a raw material in the present invention is obtained by defatting a raw material containing a large amount of collagen, such as pig skin, and then heat-drying it, and contains 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction. By using collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction, it becomes possible to expand the raw material mixture when subjected to pressure heating treatment in an extruder. The raw material for collagen is not particularly limited, and examples include beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.

However, the above effect is not observed with collagen raw materials containing less than 10% by weight of insoluble fractions such as water-soluble collagen, gelatin, and collagen peptides.

The content of the insoluble fraction of collagen may be measured in the same manner as in the measurement of general protein fractions, for example, by the following measurement method.
A centrifuge tube is filled with water at 0 to 5°C, and a collagen sample is added to give a concentration of 3.0% by weight. The sample is dispersed using a homogenizer or high-speed shaker. The resulting dispersion is heated to 50 to 75°C and then centrifuged at 40°C. After centrifugation, the supernatant is removed, and the precipitate is suction filtered and dried. The weight of the sample (insoluble components) obtained after drying is measured. The ratio of the weight of the insoluble components to the weight of the sample initially added is taken as the value of the insoluble fraction.
Examples of collagen containing 10% by weight or more of the insoluble fraction include "PK-100" and "BFK-100" (both trade names manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.).

The content of collagen containing 10% by weight or more of the insoluble fraction may be in the range of 40 to 80% by weight, preferably 50 to 70% by weight, of the total weight of the puffed snack food of the present invention.

b) Granular soy protein The granular soy protein used in the present invention may be any soybean raw material such as defatted soybeans or isolated soybean protein processed into granules, and there are no particular limitations on the degree of purification or processing method. For example, it may be produced by adding water to concentrated soy protein, extruding the extrudate, pulverizing, and drying.
The protein content of the granular soy protein is preferably as high as possible from the nutritional standpoint of high protein, low sugar and low fat, and for example, a protein content of about 40 to 90% by weight is preferred.
Furthermore, the particle size of the granular soy protein should be in the range of 0.5 to 10 mm for 90% by weight or more of the particles, and preferably in the range of 1 to 5 mm for 50% by weight or more of the particles. If the particle size exceeds 10 mm, the particles will be too large compared to the other particles, resulting in unstable quality of the finished product, while if the particle size is below 0.5 mm, the particles will be too fine, resulting in poor overall powder flowability.

The content of the granular soy protein may be in the range of 10 to 50% by weight, preferably 10 to 30% by weight, of the total weight of the puffed snack food of the present invention.

c) One or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and salts thereof. The free amino acids used in the present invention are used for the purpose of improving physical properties such as texture by interacting with collagen and soy protein. Specifically, by inhibiting the formation of a tissue that causes proteins to clump together, the melt-in-the-mouth feel of the puffed snack food of the present invention is improved, and at the same time, adhesion to teeth is also improved.
In the present invention, a free amino acid refers to an amino acid that exists in a free state and exists independently, separate from the amino acids that constitute proteins or peptides. The amount of a free amino acid can be quantified by a known method such as high performance liquid chromatography.

The glutamic acid, alanine and glycine used as free amino acids in the present invention may be in the L- or D-form, or may be natural products containing them.
Examples of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine and salts thereof include L-glutamic acid, sodium L-glutamate, potassium L-glutamate, magnesium L-glutamate, L-alanine, D-alanine, DL-alanine, glycine, natural products containing these free amino acids, extracts, protein hydrolysates, etc.
The free amino acid may be a derivative.
Another effect of the free amino acids in the present invention is the masking effect of unpleasant tastes derived from collagen and soybeans. The masking effect of unpleasant tastes cannot be achieved by amino acids other than glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine.
The total content of one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine and salts thereof as described above may be in the range of 2 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the puffed snack food of the present invention.

The puffed snack food of the present invention may contain other optional ingredients such as salt, seasonings, spices, vegetable extracts, animal extracts, dietary fiber, acidulants, pH adjusters, leavening agents, fruit juice, flavorings, colorings, oils and fats, emulsifiers, dairy products, sweeteners, grain flour such as wheat flour, vitamins, minerals, amino acids (other than glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine), etc.
By appropriately selecting these optional ingredients, the palatability of the puffed snack food can be broadened, provided that the optional ingredients are used in amounts that do not adversely affect the flavor or texture of the puffed snack food.

From a nutritional standpoint, the puffed snack food of the present invention preferably contains 50% by weight or more of protein and 20% by weight or less of carbohydrates.
More preferably, the protein content is 50% by weight or more and the carbohydrate content is 10% by weight or less.
A low-carbohydrate diet can be achieved by keeping the proportion of carbohydrates in total calories below 26% by weight.
The low-carbohydrate diet may be one defined in Feinman RD, Pogozelski WK, Astrup A, et al.: Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management: Critical review and evidence base. Nutrition 31: 1-13, 2015.
Protein is a polymer of amino acids, but nutritionally, it refers to protein based on amino acid composition as shown in the 2020 edition (8th revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, and is quantified using methods such as nitrogen quantitative conversion. Therefore, protein also includes unpolymerized free amino acids and peptides. Specifically, in the present invention, the protein content refers to the total amount of protein contained in a), the protein contained in b), and the protein contained in c) and other optional ingredients.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the carbohydrates refer to available carbohydrates, and the carbohydrate content indicates the content calculated by the method stipulated in the Food Labeling Standards, which nutritionally defines the carbohydrate content as "calculated by deducting the amounts of protein, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, and water from the mass of the food."

Furthermore, the puffed snack food of the present invention is a low-calorie food product because it is puffed using an extruder and does not require frying in oil as is the case with conventional snack foods.
The fat content in the puffed snack of the present invention is 40% by weight or less, more preferably 20% by weight or less, so that even health-conscious consumers can eat it with peace of mind.

The puffed snack food of the present invention can be produced by adding the ingredients listed above and water to an extruder and expanding them by pressurizing and heating. Water may be added directly to the extruder, but it is preferable to add water to the powder ingredients in advance in a mixer or the like and mix them, and then add the mixture to the extruder.

The amount of water added as described above is preferably 4 to 100 parts by weight, more preferably 5 to 20 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the raw material mixture. If too much water is added, shrinkage may occur after swelling or moisture may remain inside, while if too little water is added, the dough may become too hard or burn.
In the present invention, by using the above three types of a), b) and c) in combination, powder fluidity is increased and swelling can be achieved with a small amount of added water, making it possible to produce the product efficiently.

The extruder may be either a single-screw extruder or a twin-screw extruder, but it is preferable to use a twin-screw extruder which has a high kneading capacity.
The extruder is preferably set such that the barrel temperature is 30 to 150°C and the die outlet temperature is 80 to 250°C.
The processing pressure of the extruder is preferably 10 to 100 kgf/cm ² .
When a manufacturing device such as an oven is used, the dough will expand, but it is difficult to achieve a crispy texture.

The dough puffed using the above method is cut into pieces of a certain size at the extruder outlet and, if necessary, heated and dried to obtain puffed snacks with a moisture content of 0-5% by weight. There are no particular restrictions on the size of each piece of puffed snack, but bite-sized pieces of approximately 0.1-2.0g are preferred.

The swelling rate of the dough in the pressurized and heated treatment using the extruder may be 200 to 500%.
The expansion rate can be calculated as follows: (diameter of expanded snack food/diameter of die outlet).
For example, if the die outlet hole is circular, cutting it at the outlet will result in a disk, sphere, or cylinder depending on the cutting interval, and the diameter of the cross section will be measured as the diameter of the expanded snack food.

The heating and drying conditions are not particularly limited, but for example, the material is heated in an oven at 150-180°C for 5-30 minutes and dried until the moisture content is 0-3% by weight.

Furthermore, the puffed snack food may be coated with seasoning on the surface, if necessary.
Specific examples of the seasonings include fats and oils, salt, flavorings, seasonings, amino acids, spices, vegetable extracts, animal extracts, acidulants, sugars, starches, sweeteners, etc. These seasonings can broaden the range of palatability of puffed snacks. The seasonings may be used within a range that does not adversely affect the flavor or texture of the puffed snacks.
When fats and oils are used for seasoning, the amount of fat and oil used should be such that the fat and oil content in the puffed snack of the present invention is 40% by weight or less, in consideration of health-conscious consumers.

The puffed snack food of the present invention obtained in this manner contains a high content of proteins derived from collagen and soy protein, yet the unpleasant odor and taste characteristic of collagen and soy protein are suppressed, and the poor texture characteristic of collagen and soy protein is also resolved.

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

Example 1
Collagen, granular soy protein, free amino acids, other ingredients and water were mixed to obtain the formulation shown in Table 1, and the mixture was continuously fed into a twin-screw extruder at a feed rate of 900 g/min. The mixture was pressurized and heated at a barrel temperature of 70°C, a die outlet temperature of 140°C, a die outlet diameter of ⁶ mm and a pressure of 40 kgf/cm2. The puffed dough was cut into approximately 0.5 g portions and dried by heating at 150°C for 5 minutes to obtain puffed snacks.

(Examples 2 to 6)
Puffed snacks were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 so as to have the formulation shown in Table 1.

(Comparative Examples 1 to 8)
Puffed snacks were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 so as to have the formulation shown in Table 1.

<Nutritional ingredients>
The nutritional components of the puffed snacks obtained in Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 8 are shown in Table 1.
・Protein
The free amino acids were calculated from the total protein and free amino acids in the collagen and soy protein. The free amino acids were calculated by converting monosodium glutamate alone to 47% protein by weight, and the other free amino acids to 100% protein by weight.
・Carbohydrates
It was calculated from the sum of the carbohydrates in collagen and soy protein.

<Test Example> Sensory Evaluation Test All of the puffed snack foods obtained in Examples 1 to 6 had a porous structure containing air.
Therefore, a sensory evaluation was carried out on each of the puffed snacks obtained in Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 8. Specifically, a three-member panel conducted a consensus evaluation based on the following three-level scale. The results are shown in Table 1.

・Texture ◎: Crispy and pleasant texture.
○: The texture is slightly hard.
△: Too hard, sticks to teeth, etc., texture unsuitable for snacks.
×: It does not rise properly and is not suitable as a snack food.
Taste: No unpleasant taste derived from collagen or soy protein.
○: The unpleasant taste derived from collagen or soy protein is not particularly noticeable.
△: Unpleasant taste derived from collagen or soy protein.
・Scent ◎: No unpleasant smell derived from collagen or soy protein.
○: The unpleasant odor derived from collagen or soy protein is not particularly noticeable.
△: Collagen smell or soybean smell is strong and unpleasant.
Overall evaluation: Excellent as a snack food.
Good: Suitable as a snack.
△: Not very suitable as a snack.
×: Not a snack food.

The results in Table 1 show that in Examples 1 to 6, compared to Comparative Examples 1 to 8, the sensory evaluation was rated "Good" or "Excellent" in all categories, indicating that the puffed snacks are highly palatable.
In particular, it can be seen that the puffed snacks obtained in Examples 1 to 6 all have reduced unpleasant tastes and odors derived from collagen or soybean protein.

Furthermore, when 20 g of the puffed snack food of Example 1 was eaten as a snack, it gave a very full feeling, making it a snack food suitable for satisfying a light hunger.
Furthermore, 20 g of the puffed snack food provided 15 g of protein and 1 g of carbohydrate, satisfying both the requirements for protein intake and carbohydrate restriction, making it a snack food with excellent nutritional value.

Claims (3)

a) 40-80% by weight of collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction
b) Granular soy protein 10-50% by weight
c) 2 to 20% by weight of one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and salts thereof
The puffed snack food is pressurized and heated by an extruder and contains the above ingredients, and has a final moisture content of 0 to 5% by weight.
The puffed snack food according to claim 1, having a protein content of 50% by weight or more and a carbohydrate content of 20% by weight or less. A method for producing the puffed snack food according to claim 1 or 2,
This method for producing puffed snacks comprises pressurizing and heating a mixture containing collagen containing 10% by weight or more of an insoluble fraction, granular soy protein, one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid, alanine, glycine and salts thereof, and water, in an extruder to puff the mixture.