JPH0330B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to foods containing unicellular green algae or unicellular cyanobacteria.

Unicellular green algae and unicellular blue-green algae represented by Chlorella cenedesmus, Spirulina, etc. (hereinafter, when we refer to algae, we mean these unicellular algae)
It is rich in nutrients such as high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore,
The use of this as a food has been considered for a long time. However, regardless of its nutritional value, algae that is normally provided as a food ingredient is by no means delicious, so even now, the use of algae as a food is limited to the use of tablets or granules in the form of pharmaceuticals. It can be taken in small amounts, or added to existing foods such as seaweed or kamaboko, as long as it does not affect the original flavor of the food.

In view of the above-mentioned current situation, the present inventors have conducted repeated research with the aim of making fundamental improvements in the use of algae such as chlorella as food. the result,
New processed algae foods that exceed the standards of conventional algae-containing foods and can be used as cooking ingredients even though algae is the main ingredient, such as gelatin, agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum,
one or more gelling agents selected from the group consisting of guar gum, wax methoxy pectin, mannan and facellan, alginic acid or a salt thereof, and 2
We have completed the invention of a processed algae food consisting of a dehydrated gel formed and shaped from valence metal ions and unicellular green algae or unicellular blue-green algae uniformly dispersed in the dehydrated gel.

The dehydrated gel in the food of the present invention is:
It means the product obtained by drying a gel to a moisture content of about 30% or less.

The shape of the food of the present invention is not particularly limited, but in consideration of ease of eating, it is preferably thread-like (for example, shirataki-like, hijiki-like) or tape-like (for example, wakame-like), or these shapes. This is a second-formed sheet-like product.

Although the algae-containing food according to the present invention can be produced by various methods, a standard production method will be described in detail below.

Algae used as raw materials are readily available, such as chlorella and then spirulina, but are not limited to these. The algae may be either live cells or dry powder, but in the case of the former, it is preferable to use fresh algae that have not been separated from the culture medium for a long time. Only products with poor color and flavor can be obtained.

Two types of gelling agents are used in combination for gel formation. One type is gelatin, agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum,
selected from the group consisting of guar gum, rhomethoxy pectin, mannan and huacellan, which are two
The above may be used in combination. The other type is alginic acid or a salt thereof (preferably potassium salt or sodium salt). If the former is used alone, a gel that can withstand cooking cannot be formed. In addition, if only the latter is used, the product is likely to turn into powder when it is in a dry state.
Moreover, when it is rehydrated and cooked, it becomes inelastic and has a bad taste, and it develops a bitter taste. A suitable ratio between the former and the latter is 1:5 to 3:5.

The gelling agent described above is first added to cold or hot water to swell. The concentration of gelling agent is approximately
1.5 to 2.5% (weight %, same hereinafter) is suitable.
Next, the whole is heated to around 80°C while stirring to completely dissolve the gelling agent.

Next, the algal bodies and the gelling agent solution are mixed using a suitable stirring means at a temperature higher than the coagulation initiation temperature (which varies depending on the concentration) of the former.

The mixing ratio of the gelling agent solution and the algal bodies is such that the weight of the algae in the mixture (in terms of dry matter) is about 5 to 35%. If the concentration is higher than this, it will be difficult to handle in subsequent steps such as molding, and if the concentration is too low, the drying efficiency will be poor.

If desired, other edible substances may be added in the mixing step, such as vegetable juice lees (ground product), fruit juice lees powder, grain skin powder, cellulose powder, seaweed powder, spices, etc.

Immediately after mixing, the homogeneous mixture of algal bodies and gelling agent is extruded through a narrow gap into a coagulation bath consisting of an aqueous divalent metal salt solution. As in the case of extrusion molding of various foods and plastics, the shape of the extrusion gap is selected depending on the shape to be imparted to the molded product, taking into consideration shrinkage, deformation, etc. during the solidification process. As the divalent metal salt for the coagulation bath, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium citrate, calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, etc. are suitable, and the concentration thereof is about 0.5 to 5%.
It is desirable to do so. The temperature of the coagulation bath may be room temperature, and preferably does not exceed about 30°C. When extruded into such a coagulation bath, the mixture gradually gels and solidifies from the surface in contact with the divalent metal ions. The extrudate is contacted with the coagulation bath for a sufficient time for this gelation to proceed to the core of the extrudate.

After gelation is completed, the molded product is taken out of the coagulation bath, thoroughly washed with water to remove adhering coagulation bath components, and then dried to obtain the algae-containing food of the present invention. In this case, freezing the product before drying reduces the heat load during drying and improves the quality of the product. Alternatively, the gel molded product taken out from the coagulation bath is boiled for several minutes in a 1-5% aqueous solution of common salt, sodium bicarbonate, or a sodium salt or potassium salt of an organic acid to deactivate the chlorophyllase activity of chlorella. At the same time, the adhesive strength of the gel surface is strengthened and secondary molding is performed (for example, when manufacturing seaweed, molding from small flakes to sheet-like objects) is performed.
May be dried. Drying is done using the sun or hot air, and the moisture content of the product is approximately 30% or less, preferably approximately 10%.
Do this until it reaches ~12%.

The algae-containing food according to the present invention can be eaten as is, or after being reconstituted by soaking in water or boiling water, or after being cooked in the same manner as ordinary cooking ingredients. You can eat it in any way you want, but for example, if you blanch it in boiling water, cool it in water, and eat it with sanbai vinegar, it will have a mozuku-like taste and texture and is delicious.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to Examples.

Example 1 12g of sodium alginate, 2g of locust bean gum, 2g of xanthan gum, 4g of agar for 600 g
Dissolve in 1 ml of water, heat sterilize, and cool to approximately 30°C while stirring. Add 250 g of cultured chlorella raw cake (60 g in terms of dry matter) to this gelling agent solution,
Stir thoroughly to mix. After this, add water to bring the total amount to 1 kg, and stir further to make a uniform viscous liquid. This viscous liquid is extruded into a 1% calcium chloride solution through a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.36 mm to form a gel and is then washed with water.

The thread-like material (approximately 950 g) with a thickness of 0.4 to 0.5 mm obtained by the above method was cut into lengths of about 2 cm, and then boiled in 1% saline solution for 4 minutes.
~120g each was spread on gauze to an area of 21cm x 19cm and frozen overnight in a -20°C freezer. Next, the product was thawed at room temperature, the resulting drips were removed, and then dried in the sun, yielding a seaweed-like processed chlorella food weighing 3 to 3.5 g per piece.

This food was edible like seaweed, had a good flavor, and had a good shelf life.

Example 2 Sodium alginate 6g, xanthan gum
0.8 g of wax methoxy pectin and 1.0 g of wax methoxy pectin were dispersed in 300 ml of water, heated to dissolve, and cooled to below 30°C. To the obtained gelling agent solution, 100 g of chlorella cake (water content 80%) and 1 g of crushed red perilla leaves as a flavoring agent were added and mixed, and 30 g of the mixture was placed on an A-4 size plastic plate. Place it on top and vibrate it to an even thickness (approximately 1.5
mm) was developed on the plate surface. Next, the whole plate was immersed in a 1% magnesium chloride aqueous solution for 1 minute, and then thoroughly washed with water, and then the formed sheet-like gelled product was peeled off from the plate. This is approx.
When dried in dry air at 20℃ for 3 hours, the moisture content is approximately 12
% of sheet-like chlorella-containing foods were obtained. Cut pieces of this product resemble wakame seaweed or wood ear mushrooms, and can be eaten as they are after being rehydrated with water and seasoned as appropriate, and are also suitable as ingredients for various instant foods.

Example 3 Sodium alginate 4.8g, guar gum 0.8g,
1.2 g of carrageenan was dispersed in 300 ml of water and then heated to dissolve it. Mix 50 g of dried chlorella powder and 10 g of wakame powder with the gelling agent solution obtained, place 30 g of the mixture on an A-4 size plastic plate, and apply vibration to a uniform thickness (approximately 1.5 mm). ) was developed on the board surface. Next, the whole plate was immersed in a 1% calcium lactate aqueous solution for 1 minute, and the sheet-like gelled material formed was thoroughly washed with water, drained, and then frozen at -10°C overnight.
Then, it was dried at low temperature. The obtained sheet-shaped chlorella-containing food had properties similar to seaweed with a seaweed odor, and could be eaten like seaweed.

Example 4 Sodium alginate 6.0g, glucomannan
0.2g, agar 1.0g and dried chlorella powder 120g
50g of water was added to the mixture, heated while kneading, and when the temperature reached 80°C, it was cooled to 30°C. The obtained kneaded product was then extruded into a 1% aqueous calcium lactate solution through a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.5 mm to be molded, and the molded product was cut into 40 cm lengths, washed with water, and dried with hot air. The obtained chlorella-containing food had a black, pine-like appearance, and was a delicious food material that could be cooked and eaten in the same way as pine nuts and hijiki.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. One or more gelling agents selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, lomethoxy pectin, mannan, and facellan, alginic acid or a salt thereof, and 2. A processed algae food comprising a dehydrated gel formed and shaped from valent metal ions, and unicellular green algae or unicellular blue-green algae uniformly dispersed in the dehydrated gel. 2. The food according to claim 1, wherein the divalent metal ion is a calcium ion, a magnesium ion, or a ferrous ion.