JP7843118B2 - Method for manufacturing pre-cooked foods - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a method for producing pre-cooked foods, and more particularly to a method for producing pre-cooked foods containing meat.

Meat is usually consumed after undergoing processing such as heat treatment. The purpose of processing is to improve flavor, texture, and shelf life.

A technology related to the processing of solid foods such as meat is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Patent No. 4083779). In the method described in Patent Document 1, first, an alkaline substance and unswelled starch are brought into contact with the surface of a solid food in which the protein has not undergone heat denaturation. Next, the food is placed in an atmosphere where the protein is heat-denatured and above the gelatinization temperature of the starch to perform a film-forming treatment. Then, the film-forming food is heat-treated in a sealed state under conditions equivalent to 80°C for 15 minutes or more. This method yields a pre-cooked food with excellent texture, yield, and flavor, and that does not deteriorate in quality even during long-term storage, resulting in a food with excellent shelf life.

Patent No. 4083779

The present inventors are considering providing a pre-cooked food product with even better meat flavor, based on the technology described in Patent Document 1. In other words, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a pre-cooked food product with even better meat flavor.

The inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by the following means.
[1] A method for producing a heated food product, comprising the steps of: contacting the surface of meat with a treatment component containing an alkaline substance and starch; heating the meat at a temperature above the gelatinization temperature of the starch after the contact step to form a film of the starch; and heat-treating the meat in a sealed state after the film-forming step, further comprising the step of combining the meat with a specific aroma component, wherein the specific aroma component contains at least one selected from aromatic aldehydes or lactones.
[2] The manufacturing method according to [1], wherein the processed component further comprises the specified aroma component.
[3] The manufacturing method according to [1] or [2], wherein the heat treatment step includes the step of sealing the meat together with the specific aroma component in a container.
[4] The manufacturing method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the meat is beef or pork.
[5] The manufacturing method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the specific aroma component is used in an amount of 0.5 to 300 ppm relative to the mass of the meat.

According to the present invention, a method for producing pre-cooked food with even better meat flavor is provided.

The present invention will be described in detail below.
The method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: contacting the surface of meat with a treatment component containing an alkaline substance and starch; heating the meat at a temperature above the gelatinization temperature of starch after the contact step to form a starch film; and heat-treating the meat in a sealed state after the film-forming step. By employing such a process (referred to as the texture improvement process), the texture and shelf life of the meat can be improved.
Herein, the method of the present invention further comprises a step of combining meat with a specific aroma component. The specific aroma component includes at least one selected from aromatic aldehydes or lactones. By combining the texture improvement step with the specific aroma component, the flavor of the meat in the cooked food can be further improved.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

(First embodiment)
In this embodiment, the processing component in the texture improvement process contains a specific aroma component. That is, the meat and the specific aroma component are combined by bringing the processing component containing the specific aroma component into contact with the meat. Each step is described in detail below.

Step S1: Prepare the meat before bringing it into contact with the treatment ingredients .
While there are no particular limitations on the type of "meat," livestock meat is preferred. Examples of livestock meat include beef, pork, chicken, and lamb. Preferably, beef or pork is used. More preferably, lean meat is used. Generally, in pre-cooked foods, when using fatty meat (marbled meat) such as Japanese beef, the fat is often lost during the heating (pressure heating) process, resulting in a lack of meaty flavor. On the other hand, pre-cooked foods using lean meat from foreign cattle, which are often grass-fed, tend to lack flavor and texture compared to Japanese beef. This embodiment makes it possible to broadly improve the flavor and texture of meat, and even when using lean meat from foreign cattle, the same flavor and texture as when using Japanese beef can be achieved.

The surface of the prepared meat is brought into contact with the treatment components. These treatment components include an alkaline substance, starch, and specific aroma compounds. This process allows the specific aroma compounds to blend with (combine) with the meat.

(Alkaline substances)
The alkaline substance can be any substance that is edible and exhibits alkalinity when dissolved in water; it is not particularly limited. By using an alkaline substance, the state of the meat is maintained on the alkaline side. As a result, it has the effect of impregnating specific aroma components of the meat, maintaining texture, and improving shelf life.
Examples of alkaline substances include alkalis such as alkali metals and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, and salts of these alkalis with weak acids. Specifically, substances containing alkali metal salts or alkaline earth metal salts are examples.
Preferably, an alkaline substance is used that has the effect of buffering the pH to the alkaline side. Examples of such substances include salts produced from an acid with an acid dissociation constant pKa value of 4 or higher, preferably 5 or higher, and more preferably 6 or higher, and an alkali. When such a substance is used, even when the meat is combined with a liquid with a lower pH, a good buffering effect is achieved, and as a result, the pH of the meat is maintained on the alkaline side of the liquid, for example, pH 5.5 to 7.5, preferably pH 6 to 7. Maintaining the pH of the meat within this range allows for the appropriate impartment of specific aroma components to the meat, as well as the preservation of texture and improvement of shelf life.

For example, alkaline substances include hydroxides such as alkali metal hydroxides (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc.), alkaline earth metal hydroxides (calcium hydroxide, etc.), and magnesium hydroxide. Examples of carbonates include alkali metal carbonates, alkaline earth metal carbonates, and magnesium carbonate. Examples of bicarbonates include alkali metal bicarbonates (baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), etc.) and alkaline earth metal bicarbonates. Examples of organic acid salts include alkali metal organic acid salts (sodium acetate, trisodium citrate, disodium succinate, sodium tartrate, sodium bitartrate, disodium malate, sodium ascorbate, sodium gluconate, etc.), alkaline earth metal organic acid salts (calcium lactate, etc.), and magnesium organic acid salts. Examples of phosphates include alkali metal phosphates, alkaline earth metal phosphates, and magnesium phosphates. Of these, carbonates and bicarbonates, especially baking soda, and organic acid salts, especially trisodium citrate, are preferred.

It is preferable to use an amount of alkaline substance such that the pH of the meat surface becomes 6.0 to 13.0, preferably 6.5 to 9.0, in terms of penetration of specific aroma components, flavor, and yield.
The amount of alkaline substance used is, for example, 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, preferably 0.3 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of meat.

(starch)
Starch is used to form a film in the following film-forming process. Unswelled starch is used.
Both unprocessed and processed starch can be used. Examples of starch include potato starch, wheat starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, and glutinous rice starch. Food ingredients containing starch, such as wheat flour, may also be used. Potato starch is preferably used.
Preferably, a starch with a gelatinization temperature of 45 to 100°C is used. More preferably, the gelatinization temperature of the starch is 80 to 100°C. Using such a starch allows for better film formation. That is, the formed film is less likely to fall off in subsequent processes. As a result, the retention of specific aroma components and the yield are improved.

The amount of starch used is, for example, 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, preferably 0.5 to 10 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of meat.

(Specific fragrance components)
Specific aroma components are used to improve flavor. These specific aroma components include at least one selected from aromatic aldehydes or lactones.

Examples of aromatic aldehydes include vanillin, benzaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, m-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-tolualdehyde, cuminaldehyde, anisaldehyde, orthovanillin, isovanillin, ethylvanillin, 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, terephthalaldehyde, isophthalaldehyde, naphthaldehyde, and cinnamaldehyde. Vanillin, benzaldehyde, and cinnamaldehyde are preferred.
Most preferably, it contains vanillin. Vanillin is an aromatic compound with _the chemical _{formula C8H8O3} and is the main component of vanilla fragrance. Aromatic aldehydes containing vanillin can be either natural or synthetic.

Lactones include γ-2-nonenolactone, γ-6-dodecenolactone, γ-dodecalactone, γ-hexadecalactone, γ-hexalactone, γ-heptalactone, γ-octalactone, δ-2-dodecenolactone, δ-7-decenolactone, δ-dodecalactone, δ-hexadecanolide, δ-hexalactone, δ-heptalactone, δ-octadecalactone, δ-octalactone, δ-tetradecalactone, δ-tridecalactone, δ-valerolactone, ε-dodecalactone, ε-decalactone, ambrettelide, octahydrocoumarin, cyclopentadecanolide, dihydroactinidiolide, dihydroambrettelide, dihydrocoumarin, massolactone, mintlactone, menthone lactone, and α-angelica Examples include lactones, α-heptyl-γ-valerolactone, α-methyl-γ-butyrolactone, β-methyl-γ-octaractone, 7-decene-1,4-lactone, 9-decene-5-olide, 3,3-dimethyl-2-hydroxy-4-butanolide, 3-butylidenephthalide, 3-propylidenephthalide, 4-vinyl-γ-valerolactone, 5-hydroxy-8-undecenoic acid δ-lactone, and 6-pentyl-α-pyrone. Short-chain lactones such as octaractone and medium-to-long-chain lactones such as decalactone are preferred. For example, lactones with approximately 5 to 9 carbon atoms are considered short-chain, those with approximately 10 to 12 carbon atoms are considered medium-chain, those with approximately 13 or more carbon atoms are considered long-chain, and those containing the aforementioned medium and long chains are considered medium-to-long-chain. Both natural and synthetic lactones can be used.

The specific aroma component is, for example, 0.00005 to 0.03 parts by mass (0.5 to 300 ppm), preferably 0.00005 to 0.01 parts by mass (0.5 to 100 ppm), per 100 parts by mass of meat.
If vanillin is included, the amount of vanillin used is preferably 0.0005 to 0.002 parts by mass (5 to 20 ppm) per 100 parts by mass of meat.

(Method of contact with the treated components)
The method for bringing the treatment component into contact with the surface of the meat is not particularly limited. Examples include the tumbler method, injection method, immersion method, and powder coating method.

In one preferred embodiment, the treatment component is dissolved in water, and the resulting aqueous solution of the treatment component is applied to the surface of the meat. For every 100 parts by mass of meat, the aqueous solution of the treatment component is applied in an amount of, for example, 0.5 to 20 parts by mass, preferably 1 to 10 parts by mass.
Furthermore, the concentration of alkaline substances in the aqueous solution of the treatment components is, for example, 0.1 to 40% by mass. The concentration of starch in the aqueous solution of the treatment components is, for example, 30 to 70% by mass. The concentration of specific aroma components in the aqueous solution of the treatment components is, for example, 0.0005 to 0.1% by mass (5 to 1000 ppm). When vanillin is used, 0.003 to 0.015% by mass (30 to 150 ppm) is preferred.

Alternatively, the treatment components may be applied to the surface of the meat in a dry state.
Before contacting the treated ingredients, the meat may be subjected to a piercing or other treatment.

Step S2: Film formation followed by film formation treatment. Specifically, the meat is heated to a temperature above the gelatinization temperature of starch. Preferably, the meat is heated to a temperature that causes the proteins contained in the meat to denature.
This causes the starch to gelatinize and form a film, creating a film on the surface of the meat. This film formation helps retain specific aroma components that have permeated the meat, maintain the texture of the meat, and improve yield. The heating temperature for film formation is, for example, 80 to 120°C, preferably 90 to 110°C. The heating time is, for example, 3 to 30 minutes, preferably 5 to 20 minutes.

The heating method for the film formation process is not particularly limited. Preferably, the meat is placed in hot water. Preferably, the meat is placed in boiling water; that is, it is boiled. This allows for film formation.
Alternatively, the meat can be heated and a film formed by processes such as steaming, hot airing, deep-frying, or stir-frying.

Step S3: Sealing and heating. Subsequently, the meat after the film-forming treatment is placed in a container and sealed. If necessary, the meat may be placed in the container with other food items. Examples of other food items include curry sauce. If curry sauce is used, the amount used is, for example, 50 to 2000 parts by mass, preferably 100 to 800 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of meat.
After sealing, the meat is subjected to heat treatment. This heat treatment is for the purpose of sterilization, etc. Preferably, retort heating (heat and pressure sterilization) is performed, or a milder heating in a hot water bath may be performed. The heating temperature is, for example, 100 to 150°C. The heating time is, for example, 10 to 60 minutes. According to the present invention, the good flavor, texture, and yield of the meat are maintained even after heat treatment.

By the above method, pre-cooked food can be manufactured. According to this embodiment, the flavor of pre-cooked food can be further improved by treating the meat with specific aroma components.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the timing of the use of the specific aroma component is changed compared to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the processing component does not necessarily need to contain the specific aroma component in step S1. Instead, the specific aroma component is used in step S3. That is, the meat and the specific aroma component are brought together (combined) in step S3. Note that other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

Specifically, in step S3, the meat after the film-forming treatment is placed in a container with a specific aroma component and, if necessary, other food items. These other food items may also contain the specific aroma component. Then, as in the first embodiment, the container is sealed and heat-treated.

As in this embodiment, the flavor of the meat can be improved even when a specific aroma component is combined with the meat in step S3.

If other foods contain specific aroma components, the amount of specific aroma components in the food is, for example, 0.00001 to 0.005% by mass (0.1 to 50 ppm), preferably 0.00005 to 0.0005% by mass (0.5 to 5 ppm). If vanillin is included, the amount of vanillin is preferably 0.00005 to 0.0003% by mass (0.5 to 3 ppm).
Furthermore, the amount of specific aroma components in the entire food product, including the meat and other food products after film formation, is, for example, 0.000005 to 0.005% by mass. If vanillin is included, the amount of vanillin is preferably 0.00003 to 0.0003% by mass (0.3 to 3 ppm).
For example, if a specific aroma component contains vanillin, the amount of vanillin in the food can be determined using known measurement techniques, such as a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Specifically, one method involves placing a dimethylpolysiloxane (PDMS) coated stirring bar in a sample bottle, stirring the sample to extract and concentrate the aroma component (SBSE: Starbar Extraction Method), and then subjecting this to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer with a thermal desorption device to measure the quantitative value using the standard addition method. The amounts of other specific aroma components in the food can also be determined using appropriate measurement methods.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples.

(Example 1)
One kilogram of lean beef, cut into bite-sized pieces, was prepared as the meat. Meanwhile, a treatment solution was prepared containing 6 g of baking soda, 25 g of potato starch, 1 g of vanilla flavoring containing vanillin, and 15 g of water. The prepared treatment solution was added to the lean beef and mixed, ensuring it was uniformly coated on the surface of the beef (Step S1). The amount of vanillin per 100 parts by mass of lean beef was approximately 0.001 parts by mass (10 ppm).
Next, the lean beef was placed in boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes (Step S2). After that, the lean beef was cooled in water at 20°C. After cooling, 30g of lean beef was packed into a retort pouch together with 150g of curry sauce. After sealing the retort pouch, it was retort heated at 105°C for 35 minutes (pressure heating sterilization treatment, Step S3) to obtain retort curry sauce. The amount of vanillin per 100 parts by mass of the total curry sauce containing lean beef was approximately 0.0001 parts by mass (1 ppm).

(Comparative Example 1)
A retort curry sauce was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that vanilla flavoring was not used.

(Example 2)
In this example, a solution without the vanilla flavoring was used as the processing solution. On the other hand, the curry sauce used was prepared by adding 0.18 g of the vanilla flavoring to 180 g of curry sauce. The total amount of vanillin in the curry sauce containing beef was approximately 0.0003 (3 ppm) by mass. The retort curry sauce was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 in other respects.

(Sensory evaluation)
The curry sauces from Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 1 were evaluated for their meat flavor and deliciousness. The sauce from Comparative Example 1 lacked meat flavor and was not tasty. In contrast, Examples 1 and 2 showed improved deliciousness, resembling Japanese beef.
In other words, when evaluated according to the following criteria, Example 1 received a "◎", Example 2 received a "〇", and Comparative Example 1 received a "×". Furthermore, the curry sauce of Example 1 remained "◎" even after long-term storage (storage equivalent to 12 months at room temperature).
◎: It has a soft texture, maintains a good yield, and you can taste the deliciousness of the fat from the high-quality meat. Overall, it is excellent in flavor and texture.
○: It has a soft texture, maintains a good yield, and although it's weaker than ◎, you can taste the delicious flavor of the fat from the high-quality meat.
×: While the texture and yield have improved, the meat lacks flavor, and overall it is lacking in taste and texture.

(Example 3)
The vanilla flavoring was replaced with 1 g of almond flavoring containing benzaldehyde, and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 1 to obtain a retort curry sauce.
In step S1, the amount of benzaldehyde added per 100 parts by mass of lean beef was approximately 0.009 parts by mass (90 ppm). In step S3, the amount of benzaldehyde in the total curry sauce containing beef per 100 parts by mass was approximately 0.002 parts by mass (20 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the curry sauce was "◎" according to the above criteria.

(Example 4)
A retort curry sauce was obtained by replacing the vanilla flavoring with 1 g of coconut flavoring containing a short-chain lactone (such as octalactone), and otherwise proceeding in the same manner as in Example 1.
In step S1, the amount of short-chain lactones blended per 100 parts by mass of lean beef was approximately 0.007 parts by mass (70 ppm). In step S3, the amount of short-chain lactones per 100 parts by mass of the entire curry sauce containing beef was approximately 0.001 parts by mass (10 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the curry sauce was "◎" according to the above criteria.
(Example 5)
The vanilla flavoring was replaced with 1 g of oil flavoring containing medium- and long-chain lactones, and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 1 to obtain a retort curry sauce.
In step S1, the amount of medium- and long-chain lactones blended per 100 parts by mass of lean beef was approximately 0.009 parts by mass (90 ppm). In step S3, the content of medium- and long-chain lactones per 100 parts by mass of the entire curry sauce containing beef was approximately 0.002 parts by mass (20 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the curry sauce was "◎" according to the above criteria.
(Example 6)
For the meat, 1 kg of pork loin cut into bite-sized pieces was prepared. Meanwhile, a treatment solution was prepared containing 6 g of baking soda, 25 g of potato starch, 1 g of vanilla flavoring containing vanillin, and 15 g of water. The prepared treatment solution was added to the pork loin and mixed, and the mixture was uniformly applied to the surface of the pork (Step S1). The amount of vanillin added per 100 parts by mass of pork was approximately 0.001 parts by mass (10 ppm).
Next, the pork loin was placed in boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes (Step S2). After that, the pork was cooled in 20°C water. After cooling, 30g of the pork loin was filled into a retort pouch together with 150g of sauce. After sealing the retort pouch, it was retort heated at 105°C for 35 minutes (pressure heating sterilization treatment, Step S3) to obtain retort braised pork. The vanillin content per 100 parts by mass of braised pork was approximately 0.0001 parts by mass (1 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the braised pork was "◎" according to the above criteria.
(Example 7)
The vanilla flavoring was replaced with 1 g of almond flavoring containing benzaldehyde, and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 6 to obtain retort braised pork belly.
In step S1, the amount of benzaldehyde added per 100 parts by mass of pork loin was approximately 0.009 parts by mass (90 ppm). In step S3, the amount of benzaldehyde in per 100 parts by mass of retort-cooked pork belly was approximately 0.002 parts by mass (20 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the pork belly belly was "◎" according to the above criteria.
(Example 8)
The vanilla flavoring was replaced with 1 g of coconut flavoring containing a short-chain lactone (such as octalactone), and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 6 to obtain retort braised pork.
In step S1, the amount of short-chain lactones added per 100 parts by mass of pork loin was approximately 0.007 parts by mass (70 ppm). In step S3, the amount of short-chain lactones added per 100 parts by mass of braised pork belly was approximately 0.001 parts by mass (10 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the braised pork belly was "◎" according to the above criteria.
(Example 9)
The vanilla flavoring was replaced with 1 g of oil flavoring containing medium- and long-chain lactones, and the rest of the procedure was the same as in Example 6 to obtain retort braised pork belly.
In step S1, the amount of medium- and long-chain lactones blended per 100 parts by mass of pork loin was approximately 0.009 parts by mass (90 ppm). In step S3, the content of medium- and long-chain lactones per 100 parts by mass of braised pork was approximately 0.002 parts by mass (20 ppm). The sensory evaluation of the braised pork received a "◎" rating according to the above criteria.

Claims (3)

A process of bringing a treatment component containing specific aroma components, alkaline substances, and starch into contact with the surface of the meat,
The process of bringing the meat into contact with the starch is followed by heating the meat at a temperature above the gelatinization temperature of the starch, thereby forming a film of starch on the surface of the meat.
After the film-forming step, the meat is heated in a sealed state.
Equipped with,
The aforementioned specific aroma component is vanillin.
The contact step includes applying the treatment component as an aqueous solution to the surface of the meat, wherein the concentration of vanillin in the aqueous solution is 30 to 150 ppm.
In the contact step, the amount of vanillin used is 0.001 parts by mass or more and 0.002 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the meat.
The film-forming step includes immersing the meat that has been in contact with the treatment component in hot water, and the heating temperature for film formation is 80 to 120°C.
A method for manufacturing pre-cooked food. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment step includes a step of sealing the meat together with the specific aroma component in a container. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the meat is beef or pork.