JPS6257295B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for producing a textured food product having a fibrous or linear appearance, for example resembling the appearance of fibrous meat.

In order to impart a lamellar structure to protein solutions, emulsions and dispersions, it is known to freeze the mixture and then solidify the structure with the proteins present. For example, thermal coagulation of proteins is described in US Patent No. 3,870,808 and British Patent No. 838,907. However, these products are often too weak to be used in large-scale manufacturing methods and do not meet the requirements for functional proteins, i.e., to yield conjugates when coagulated in aqueous solution or dispersion. is constrained by. Another drawback of these methods is that they require high energy during the thawing and thermal solidification steps.

Now, in the present invention, food products having a fibrous, lamellar, or linear structure and strong enough to withstand handling in a factory can be processed by a freezing method using an ionic gelling agent to form a structure. It is now ready to be prepared. The structure is fixed by a gelling mechanism between a gelling agent, usually an acidic polysaccharide, and a reactive cation; surprisingly, this bonding occurs during or after ice crystal formation. It can also occur before the formation of fibrous or lamellar structures. A major advantage of this method is that no other mechanism is required to solidify the structure.

Accordingly, in the present invention, a textured food product consists of multiple pieces of edible material having a cohesive fibrous, lamellar, or linear structure and includes an ionic gelling agent and a non-toxic material that reacts with the gelling agent. Contains sexual metal ions. The method of the present invention includes the steps of preparing a mixture of nutrients and water and containing an ionic gelling agent, reacting the gelling agent with non-toxic metal ions to cause coagulation or gelation within the mixture. and freezing the mixture with permanent crystal formation therein either before, during or after solidification of the gelling agent.

A wide variety of ionic gelling agents and reactive metal ions can be used. However, it is highly desirable that the metal ions are divalent or polyvalent, such as alkaline earth metals or aluminum. The reason is that these have much better performance than monovalent metal ions such as alkali metals.

When gels produced with divalent or polyvalent metal ions are used at high concentrations, their stability is greatly increased and, in particular, they can form thermally stable fibrous or lamellar structures. Ta. That is, the structure is
Even in the absence of thermocoagulable substances such as proteins, they are resistant to sterilizing heat, such as in canning methods.

Ionic gelling agents are most often acidic polysaccharides. The acidic group may be a carboxyl group, as in pectate, alginate and carboxymethylcellulose, or a sulfate group, as in carrageenin.

The fibrous, linear or lamellar structures obtained by the method of the invention provide meat-like texture to products containing edible protein materials, whether of animal or vegetable origin. Although of particular importance in forming substitutes for or analogs of, the formation of structures with such tissue does not necessarily depend on the presence of proteins in the mixture.

The product can be preserved by canning, if necessary.
This may be done by sterilization or freezing, or by incorporating or injecting sugar, glycerin or other humectants, and antibacterial agents such as potassium sorbate. Alternatively, the product can be preserved with its PH reduced to antimicrobial levels and containing antimicrobial agents.

In a preferred method for preparing the food product of the invention, the protein material is made to form a solid matrix by reaction of a non-toxic salt of a metal ion and a salt of an acidic polysaccharide, preferably with a fat or oil. ing. The formation of a lamellar structure is achieved by freezing the solid matrix at a temperature below 0°C (273°C or below). Preferably, the rate of freezing is controlled such that the temperature is reduced to 0°C (273°C) over a period of 2 hours or more to promote the formation of large ice crystals.

The protein material may be derived from meat, vegetables, or bacteria. Typical examples include fish, muscle, offal, meat by-products, gluten (active or inactive), fatty soy flour, soy concentrate, peanut flour, soy isolate, bacterial proteins, yeast proteins. , fungal proteins, meat meal, dried blood, structured animal or vegetable protein fibers, fat scraps, fishmeal, blood, bone, and keratin.

The inclusion of fats and oils is desirable, and in the case of fats, they can be an integral part of one or more components, or they can be separate components. If necessary, an emulsifier can be added to promote emulsification. However, it is also advantageous to include a large amount of fat in the matrix.
Inert fillers such as microcrystalline cellulose or silica can also be added to absorb free fats and oils.

The non-toxic salt used in the present invention is preferably a calcium, magnesium or aluminum salt, but generally any non-toxic divalent or polyvalent metal salt may be used. The salt used depends on the method used to produce the protein food. For example, a highly soluble salt such as calcium chloride can be used if the production method utilizes contact between a reactive protein mixture and a metal salt solution. Conversely,
It is desirable to use a salt of relatively low solubility, such as calcium sulfate, if the production step is to occur after thorough mixing of all ingredients.

The preferred acidic polysaccharide for the purposes of this invention is pectate, and the preferred method of production is one that utilizes the natural reaction between the metal salt and the acidic polysaccharide. What is meant by pectate is a source of crude pectin containing poorly esterified methoxy pectin with a degree of esterification (DE) of 20% or less, in particular pectin with a degree of esterification of 20% or less.
Any pectin source can be used at a desired pectin concentration of 0.1% to 5.0% by weight of the product as long as the degree of esterification is 20% or less.
A good example of such crude pectin is citrus peel or pulp, which is chemically treated to produce pectin with a very low methoxyl content. However, sodium pectate and potassium pectate can also be used. Similarly, soluble salts of alginic acid and carboxymethyl cellulose can also be used.

Incorporating hydrophilic gums and mucilage into the product,
It can also reduce syneresis of the product that can occur during thawing.

Suitable colorants, such as natural and synthetic dyes such as blood caramel, can be added at any stage. Flavorings and flavor enhancers can also be added.

Using a sequestrant,
Pectin can be extracted from a crude pectin source or the gelation process can be slowed down. The sequestering agent can be any non-toxic salt capable of sequestering or chelating with the metal ions that cause gelation, ie, rendering gelation impossible. For example, the sodium or potassium salt of tripolyphosphate;
Citrate, pyrophosphate, orthophosphate, and
There is EDTA.

Experiments have shown that when the ion gelation method and freezing method of the present invention are applied, the fibrous properties of the resulting structure, which already has some fibrous properties before freezing, are significantly improved. . For example, in this method, if finely cut fibrous meat is used as a raw material and pectate is produced using the original production method, an excellent fibrous product can be obtained. It was also found that adding water had a beneficial effect on the structure. Products with higher added water content exhibit more fibrous structure after freezing than similar products with lower water content.

The method of the invention has been most successful when ice crystal formation is slow. The slower the freezing process, the larger the ice crystals that form and therefore the more pronounced structural effect is obtained. Also, storing the product at sub-zero temperatures for extended periods of time results in better product texture. Surprisingly, the incorporation of hydrophilic colloids to reduce the volume of drip loss during the thawing process did not appear to affect the degree of structure formation during the freezing process.

Using the method of the present invention, the fibrous appearance of foodstuffs "generated" by ionic gelling agents is induced or increased, possibly as a result of freeze-thaw instability, and the formation of The structure is not thermoreversible. This instability in the freeze-thaw cycle is interesting, given that products such as ice cream use sodium salts of polysaccharides to achieve freeze-thaw stability. The mixture, which is not "formed" prior to freezing but contains enough metal ions to gel over time, reacts during the freezing process and exhibits a fibrous appearance after thawing. Protein foods containing ionic polysaccharides can be frozen in bulk to form ice crystals and thawed in solutions containing reactive metal ions. In such cases, metal ions migrate from the frozen mass as the ice crystals melt, form structures, and then disappear.

The following experimental examples, while illustrating the invention, are exemplary only. Percentages are by weight unless the context requires otherwise. Experimental Example 1 discloses a currently desirable product.

Experimental example 1 % Meat cut pieces (2 mm strips) 40.0 Water 26.5 Caramel 0.5 Gravy 33.0 100.0 Gravy composition % Chemically treated citrus peel (DE10%) *
6.0 Sodium tripolyphosphate 1.2 Water (100°C = 373〓) 92.8 100.0 * Galacturonic acid content 30% The gravy is prepared by mixing the ingredients in a high speed mixer or homogenizer until a homogeneous thick solution is produced. did.

The meat pieces were cut into strips through 2 mm plates and mixed with the other ingredients except for the gravy in a bowl mixer equipped with a "spade" fitting.

Next, immediately add the gravy to the meat, water,
and into a caramel mixture, and the resulting mixture was poured into a tray and allowed to solidify. After 2 hours, the coagulum approximately 11/2 inches deep was heated to -15℃ (258℃).
It was stored for 8 weeks in a freezer controlled at a temperature of 〓). The temperature at the center of the mass is 0 after 2 hours.
℃ (273〓) and after 8 weeks -15℃ (258〓)
It was hot.

The lump is a typical meat-in-the-metal can.
Before being shaped into small cubes and sterilized as a meat-in-jelly pet food product,
The temperature was adjusted to be between 5°C and 5°C (273° and 278°). After cooling, the cans were opened and the product was inspected. The product of the invention was very hard and had a pronounced fibrous appearance similar to fine fibrous muscle.

In the case of the control product, which was prepared using the same method but did not go through the freezing process, after being sterilized as a jelly meat pet food product, it exhibited some fibrous properties due to the meat, but the degree of fibrousness was different from that of the product of the present invention. It was much smaller in comparison. In addition, the meat analogs prepared by the method of the present invention were much firmer and had more meat-like properties in terms of mouthfeel and chewing sensation than the control products.

Experimental example 2 Gravy composition % Processed citrus peel 2.0 Tetron 0.4 Water (100℃=373〓) 31.1 33.5 Product composition % 2 mm strips of meat 66.0 Caramel 0.5 Gravy 33.5 100.0 Gravy is made of all its components at high speed Prepared by shear mixing and then added to the meat/caramel mixture. After mixing, the mixture was extruded intermittently into a 10% calcium chloride solution and remained in the solution for 25 minutes. After that, wash this thick wall thoroughly under running water. The thick wall produced in this way has a hard outer skin, but is soft in the center because it has not reacted. After storage for 5 hours at room temperature, the thick wall became solid throughout as a result of calcium penetration. This solid thick wall was stored in a deep freezer set at a temperature of -15°C (258°C) for 24 hours and then allowed to thaw. The thick wall has a fibrous structure when cut,
The structure is meat-in-gravy.
-gravy) When canned as a product, it was stable against sterilization.

Control products that did not undergo such freezing treatment exhibited a dense, non-fibrous appearance resembling lung or kidney. The control product remained dense and showed no fibrous properties after pasteurization as a meat and gravy component. In contrast, meat analogs that have undergone a freezing process and then pasteurization as similar meat-and-gravy food products have the same appearance as high-grade fibrous muscle and can be cut open or This was especially true when it was deformed.

Experimental example 3% Sodium alginate
13.3 Guar gum 0.67 Water (20℃=293〓) 32.00 Meat cut pieces (2 mm thinly sliced) 66.00 100.0 Sodium alginate, guar gum and water in Z
Mixing with a blade mixer produced a viscous solution. Mix 2 mm shredded meat pieces into this solution to produce a homogeneous mixture, then extrude the mixture into a weir of 10% calcium chloride solution and cut with a rotary knife so that the outer skin becomes hard and the center produced soft ball-like meat mixes. The thick walls were soaked in a 10% calcium chloride solution for 25 minutes and then thoroughly rinsed with water. At this point, the thick wall had a hard outer skin, but the center was very soft because it had not reacted. Next, make this thick wall 258〓
Store for 24 hours in a deep freezing chamber controlled at a temperature of
It was then thawed at room temperature. The thawed thick wall was solid throughout and had a lamellar structure when cut open. The structure is stable to sterilization in the meat-based product state, and at the same time
It showed the appearance of high-grade fibrous meat.

In contrast, a control product treated the same way but without the freezing step had a dense lung-like appearance and texture.

Experimental example Components of 4 products % Meat mixture 67.0 Gravy mixture 33.0 100.0 Meat mixture % Pasteurized meat pieces 63.0 Lactic acid bacteria culture 3.0 Calcium sulfate 2H ₂ O 1.0 67.0 Gravy mixture % Processed citrus peel 6.0 Tetrasodium pyrophosphate 1.2 Sugar 9.0 Potassium sorbate 1.2 Caramel 4.5 Dyes 1.5 Water 76.6 100.0 Preparation of the meat mixture is already carried out at a temperature of 100 °C (373〓)
Lactobacillus casein cultures were added to pasteurized meat pieces that had been heated for 15 minutes, cut into pieces through 2 mm plates, and then cooled to 40°C (313°C). next,
Calcium sulfate was added and the three ingredients were mixed in a bowl mixer using a kneading hook.

The production of lactic acid bacteria starter cultures was carried out by growing the desired types of microorganisms in MRS soup at a temperature of 30°C (303°C) for 20LH.

gravy mixture at a temperature of 50℃ (323〓)
Stir into the meat mixture at a temperature of 313 °C (313 °C) and mix in a bowl mixer for 30 seconds, then transfer the mixture to a 2 inch (5.08 cm) deep tray. After 5 minutes, that is, when a pH value of about 6.4 was obtained, the solid meat was cut into thick pieces, packed into PVDC bags, and heated at 30°C.
The eggs were incubated at a temperature of (303〓) for 18 hours. By this time, the pH value of the thick wall had dropped to 4.3.
The meat thus produced had a firm, fibrous appearance similar to stew-cut meat, and was also stable with respect to bacteria.

The product was then fully frozen at a temperature of -15°C (258°C) for 36 hours. Then, after thawing,
The thick wall had a highly laminar structure superior to the unfrozen material.

Experimental example 5 product components % Active gluten 15.4 Caramel 0.5 Water (80℃=353〓) 9.1 Gravy 75.0 100.0 Gravy component % Treated citrus peel 4.5 Sodium tripolyphosphate 0.5 Water (100℃=373〓) 95.0 100.0 Gravy The preparation was carried out in the same manner as in Experimental Example 1. The 75% gravy and the other ingredients of the product are mixed under high shear conditions, for example in a jar homogenizer, and the resulting mixture is poured into a 11/2 inch deep tray and shaped. let 2
After the time has elapsed, remove this solid mass to −15°C (258°C).
Store in a deep freezer at a temperature of 〓) for 24 hours.
The mass, or thick wall, had a dense, lung-like appearance before freezing, but after also undergoing freezing treatment,
The thawed thick meat had a spongy, fibrous texture that was stable to sterilization when packed in metal cans in a meat and gravy configuration.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. preparing a mixture containing nutrients and an ionic gelling agent; directly treating discrete pieces of the mixture in a solution containing non-toxic divalent or polyvalent metal ions; or including the ions in the mixture to form a gel in the mixture by reacting the ions with the gelling agent; and freezing the entire mixture until at least 2 hours have elapsed. A textured food product characterized in that the mixture is cooled at a slow rate so as to produce ice crystals therein, and a fibrous, lamellar or linear structure is produced in the mixture. method of manufacturing the product. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture is extruded in discrete pieces and immersed in a solution of calcium chloride. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture contains calcium ions and its gelation rate is controlled by the inclusion of a sequestering agent. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mixture is maintained at a temperature below its freezing point after freezing. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gelling agent is an acidic polysaccharide. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gelling agent is pectate. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the mixture contains a protein material. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said mixture contains fibrous meat having some fibrous nature, and wherein the formation of a gel and freezing enhances the fibrous nature of such mixture. 9. Claims 1 to 8, wherein the product after freezing is subjected to a sterilization process or a canning process, and the fibrous, lamellar or linear structure is maintained even in the sterilized product. The method described in any of the above.