JPH0761239B2 - Edible body and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention Technical Field The present invention relates to a method for producing cellulose having a crystalline form of cellulose II,
The present invention relates to an edible object containing a polypeptide and at least one guest component selected from edible polysaccharides, and a method for producing the same. The edible object has various functions and is particularly useful in the food and agricultural fields.

BACKGROUND ART Despite much research effort into the production of films and fibers from polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, and biological components containing these as their primary components, most of these efforts have been unsuccessful on an industrial scale. The main reasons for this are the high cost of the raw materials, the low yield rate required for the production of molded products, and the difficulty in obtaining products with sufficient mechanical strength. To name a few successful examples, collagen is used as a casing film in the sausage packaging industry, and soy protein is consumed as yuba (dried bean curd skin). Soy protein isolates are also added as fibrous proteins to various fish and meat products. However, these films still lack satisfactory mechanical strength, and it is difficult to say that they exhibit sufficient elasticity and strength/elongation.

On the other hand, among edible polysaccharides, pullulan is being developed for various uses as a film, and starch is widely available commercially as pharmaceutical packaging wafers, but it has been considered difficult to produce molded products with high mechanical strength from these alone. For example, wafer films are uneven and weak, and cannot maintain their shape even in the presence of even a small amount of moisture, so it is difficult to say that they fully function as edible packaging materials.

To overcome these drawbacks and to take advantage of the dietary properties of cellulose fibers and powders, attempts have been made to mix them with the polypeptides and edible polysaccharides. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 51-70837 discloses a method for mixing cellulose granules with proteins by a special method.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 48-39670 discloses an example of mixing gluten and cellulose granules as a chewing gum base. As is well known, cellulose has excellent dimensional stability and is used as a raw material for molded products with sufficient mechanical strength when used as regenerated fiber or cellophane. However, simply adding cellulose fine powder or fine fibers to the above-mentioned foods containing polypeptides or edible polysaccharides does not lead to any dramatic improvement in mechanical strength, since the cellulose only exists as an island component in the polypeptide or edible polysaccharide. Furthermore, if the cellulose fine powder or fine fibers are used at too high a content, the solid structure inherent to cellulose is essentially maintained, which can give an unpleasant texture, and in some cases,
It has the drawback of giving a bitter taste and lingering in the mouth.

On the other hand, when it is desired to use cellulose to improve the mechanical strength of food materials such as the above-mentioned polypeptides and edible polysaccharides, it is possible to use a method in which the cellulose is first dissolved, mixed with the desired substance, and then regenerated. Although not intended for the above-mentioned purpose, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 51-55355 discloses the following method:
A method of adding modified starch to a cuprammonium solution or a viscose solution of cellulose has been disclosed for the purpose of obtaining an inexpensive regenerated cellulose film. However, the final molded product described in this publication contains toxic by-products such as copper ions and carbon disulfide, making it unsuitable for use in the food industry.

As can be seen from the above, the present inventors have overcome the drawbacks of the above polypeptides and edible polysaccharides, namely, 1) fragility and low mechanical strength, and 2) high raw material costs, by using cellulose.
That is, we have investigated ways to solve the discomfort felt when ingested and the tendency of the food to remain in the mouth by changing the state of mixing and dispersion with polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, etc.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As a result of extensive research in the above direction, the present inventors have discovered, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-42401, 60-42438 and 60-27544, that by mixing and dissolving or mixing and dispersing cellulose soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution such as caustic soda with a polypeptide, an edible polysaccharide or a biological component as a guest component to prepare a dope, and then solidifying the dope,
It was found that an edible object consisting of a structure with a special dispersed morphology can be obtained.

This edible body is non-toxic, and unlike conventional compositions in which cellulose is dispersed in polypeptides or edible polysaccharides, it does not give an unpleasant feeling when eaten, even though it has a high cellulose fraction, and it does not remain in the mouth.
It has excellent mechanical strength, high water absorption, and excellent processability when wet.

The edible body of the present invention is an edible body comprising a structure containing cellulose having a crystalline form of cellulose II regenerated from an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide and at least one guest component selected from polypeptides and edible polysaccharides, and in the structure, cellulose II or a homogeneous body of cellulose II and edible polysaccharides is present as a sea component or a continuum at least
It is characterized by the presence of 10% or more.

Here, the "sea component" refers to a phase that is distributed in a form that envelops another phase when the cross section of the structure is examined by a transmission electron microscope or an optical microscope, and the "continuum" refers to a phase that is distributed continuously even if there are voids. The definition of "existing at 10% or more as sea component or continuum" is that in an edible body in which sea and island components can be confirmed, the area occupied by the sea component out of the total area of the field of view is 10% when the edible body is examined by a microscope at a magnification where five or more islands can be confirmed in the field of view.
In addition, in the case of edible bodies where seas and islands cannot be confirmed, the area occupied by the continuum of the total visual field is
This refers to a condition where the level is 10% or more.

The edible body is produced by a method characterized by adding, as a guest component, at least one selected from polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, and biological components containing them as main components, either directly or after dissolving or dispersing in an alkaline aqueous solution, to an alkaline solution in which 50 parts by weight or less of undissolved cellulose is swollen and dispersed relative to 100 parts by weight of dissolved cellulose, to prepare a dope in which 50% by weight or more of the total guest components are dissolved in the dope, extruding the dope using an extruder, coagulating, neutralizing, washing with water, and drying if necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A shows the solid-state CP/MAS ¹³ C-NMR spectrum of native cellulose in the C ₁ -C ₆ carbon peak region.

FIG. 1B shows the solid-state CP/MAS ¹³ C-NMR spectrum of the _C4 carbon peak region of regenerated cellulose.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the apparatus for the deuteration IR method.

FIG. 3 shows the infrared absorption spectrum after deuteration (equilibrium) for calculating the ratio of the optical density of the peak at 3430 cm ⁻¹ to the optical density at 3360 cm ⁻¹ (Hb) at equilibrium deuteration.
The figure is an electron microscope photograph of the edible body of the present invention.

5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are electron microscope photographs of the edible bodies obtained in Example 2, Example 1, and Comparative Example 1, respectively.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In this specification, the term "edible body" refers to a structure that is edible by humans and in which the paper-like texture of cellulose is suppressed.

The cellulose used as a raw material in the present invention includes:
Native cellulose with an intramolecular hydrogen bonding level Hb(3+6) at the C3 and C6 positions, as determined by CP/MAS ^13C -NMR, of 60% or less, or regenerated cellulose with an intramolecular hydrogen bonding level Hb(3) at the C3 position of 30% or less, and a solubility of 67% or more, as defined below, are preferred. Native cellulose with an intramolecular hydrogen bonding level Hb(3+6) of 0-48% or regenerated cellulose with an intramolecular hydrogen bonding level Hb(3) at the C3 position of 0-15%, with a solubility close to 100%, are more preferred. This ensures the blending of cellulose with polypeptides and/or edible polysaccharides as defined in the present invention, enabling the resulting edible body to achieve higher mechanical strength. Of course, since undissolved cellulose is permitted from the beginning in the edible body of the present invention, the use of cellulose other than the above is also acceptable. However, if the undissolved cellulose content is less than 50% of the cellulose dissolved in the dope prepared during the production process of the edible body of the present invention, the undissolved cellulose content should be less than 50% of the cellulose dissolved in the dope.
If the content exceeds 100% by weight, an edible body having sufficient mechanical strength cannot be obtained from the dope.

^{The 13C} -NMR measurement method used in this specification, the above fraction Hb(3+
The evaluation method for Hb(6) and Hb(3) is described below. A pulsed-Fourier transform NMR spectrometer is used to measure the solid-state high-resolution ^13C -NMR spectrum by the so-called CP/MAS (cross-polarization magic angle spinning) method. The sample is packed into a Teflon sample tube, the contact time is about 2 milliseconds, and the sample rotation speed is 1000 rpm.
The frequency must be 3000 Hz or higher. The sample is measured in an air-dried or wet state. The chemical shift of each peak is 29.5pp for the methyl peak of adamantene measured under the same conditions as above.
The measurement temperature was between room temperature and 60°C. The pulse count was 500 or more.

FIG. 1A shows the solid-state CP/MAS ¹³ C-NMR spectrum of native cellulose in the C ₁ to _{C 6} carbon peak region, and FIG. 1B shows the solid-state CP/MAS 13 C-NMR spectrum of native cellulose in the C 1 to C 6 carbon peak region.
The figure shows the solid-state CP/M of the C4 carbon peak region of regenerated cellulose.
The AS ¹³ C-NMR spectrum is shown.
Hb(6) and Hb(3) are the fractions of the unshaded area (lower magnetic field side) of the C4 carbon peak, C6 carbon peak, and C4 carbon peak, and can usually be determined from the integral curve of the spectrum. Referring to the figure, Hb(3+6) applied to native cellulose is expressed as the area integral (a+c)/(a+b+c+d) × 100 (%) in Figure 1A. The Hb(3+6) of the cellulose shown in Figure 1A was 45%. Hb(3) applied to regenerated cellulose is the area integral a/(a+b) × 100 (%) in Figure 1B. In Figure 1B, (i) to (iv) represent celluloses with different Hb(3), and the values are 44%, 38%, 21%, and 13%, respectively, starting from (i).
%, a and c are the fractions of the unshaded areas (low magnetic field side) of the C ₄ and C ₆ carbon peaks, respectively, and can usually be determined from the integral curve of the spectrum.
b and d are the fractions of the shaded areas (higher magnetic field side) of the C ₄ and C ₆ carbon peaks, respectively.

The degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding at C3 and C6 positions Hb(3+6)
Natural cellulose, which has a carbon content of 60% or less, is found in wood pulp, cotton,
Regenerated cellulose can be obtained by adjusting the degree of polymerization of natural cellulose, such as hemp, through acid hydrolysis, or by mechanically crushing or blasting the natural cellulose, or by treating it in an extruder at high temperature or with an enzyme solution. Regenerated cellulose, which has an intramolecular hydrogen bond at the C3 position (Hb(3)) of 30% or less, can be obtained by dissolving it in a solvent, neutralizing it, coagulating it in a non-solvent, or by evaporating and coagulating the volatile solvent components, followed by regeneration.

In particular, more preferred celluloses with high alkali solubility, i.e., natural cellulose with an Hb(3+6) of 0-48% or regenerated cellulose with an Hb(3) of 0-15%, can be obtained by the above-mentioned production methods, in particular by subjecting natural cellulose such as wood pulp, cotton, or hemp, whose degree of polymerization has been adjusted to 700 or less (as specified below), to high-temperature, high-pressure blasting or extrusion in the presence of a hydrogen bond cleaving agent, or by treating with an enzyme solution, or by dissolving in a solvent and then neutralizing and regenerating or coagulating in a non-solvent, or by evaporating and coagulating the readily volatile solvent components and regenerating. Among these types of regenerated cellulose, the most preferred, from the viewpoint of extremely high alkali solubility, is one prepared by dissolving cellulose in a cuprammonium solution, evaporating the ammonia component, solidifying the resulting product, and then neutralizing and regenerating it with an acid solution. However,
If a large amount of copper remains in the edible body, it will be toxic, so washing is repeated until the amount of copper in the cellulose is 10 ppm or less.
This refers to aqueous acid solutions, aqueous salt solutions, cellulose solvent groups, etc.

As used herein, solubility refers to the solubility of cellulose at 9.1% by weight.
The undissolved content of the product when dissolved in an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at 5°C to a concentration of 5% by weight was centrifuged at 7,000 rpm, neutralized, regenerated, and weighed, and the weight was calculated from the initial amount of the product.

The degree of polymerization is not particularly limited, but
6) Natural cellulose having 0 to 48% Hb(3) or
Regenerated cellulose, which is about 15%, is produced by
It is difficult to obtain a degree of polymerization of 1200 or more. If high mechanical strength is desired in the final molded product, it is sufficient for the alkali-soluble cellulose to have a degree of polymerization of 100 or more. If it is less than 100, no reinforcing effect can be expected from the use of cellulose. Here, the degree of polymerization referred to in this specification is determined by the following method.

The degree of polymerization is determined from the viscosity of the cadoxene solution and used as the viscosity average degree of polymerization.
Add 318g of special reagent grade cadmium oxide slowly while stirring and keeping the mixture at 0°C for 2-3 minutes.
The mixture was gradually mixed over a period of 24 hours, and the mixture was left standing at -15°C for 24 hours. 950 ml of the supernatant was mixed with 60 ml of ethylenediamine, 155 ml of distilled water, and
Add 14 g of caustic soda to make a cadoxene stock solution. Dissolve the weighed cellulose in the cadoxene stock solution while keeping the temperature below 6°C, and dilute with the same volume of distilled water as the cadoxene stock solution to obtain a concentration of c (g/dL).
120 seconds (20°C) measured with an Ubbelohde viscometer, 25°C
t is the time it takes for the cellulose/cadoxene solution to fall,
The time it takes for the 2-fold diluted cadoxene solution to fall is defined as _t0 . The intrinsic viscosity defined by the following equation is calculated using the Brown-Wikström viscosity formula (Euro. Polym. J., 1 , 1(1999)
66) [η] = 3.85 × 10 ² Mv Divide the viscosity average molecular weight Mv obtained by substituting into ^0.76 by 162 to obtain the viscosity average degree of polymerization.
In determining the intrinsic viscosity, an empirical rule regarding the dependency of viscosity on concentration may be used to find the intrinsic viscosity as a solution to the following quadratic equation from the value of the number of seconds it takes for the viscosity to fall at a single concentration.

ck[η] ² +[η]-v=0 where, v=(t/t ₀ -1)/c k=0.03361v+0.2061 Among the guest components used in the present invention, polypeptides include soybean protein, casein, albumin, globulin, gelatin, etc. purified by various methods, or their Na, C, etc.
The a,K salts are used. These polypeptides may be partially hydrolyzed. All of them are completely or largely soluble in dilute aqueous alkaline solutions.
Among these, those that are completely soluble in a dilute alkaline aqueous solution are particularly desirable in terms of mixing with the cellulose solution and improving the mechanical properties of the resulting edible body.

The edible polysaccharides used in the present invention include gum arabic,
Examples of suitable starches include galactan arabic, alginic acid, gum ghatti, carrageenan, karaya gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, konjac flour, tamarind, tara gum, tracant gum, furcellaran, pullulan, pectin, chitin, locust bean gum, xylan, mannan, various starches (raw starches such as corn starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, and commercial amylose-containing starches, as well as pregelatinized starches obtained by pregelatinizing these starches, crosslinked starches crosslinked with acetic acid, etc., esterified or etherified starches such as sodium starch glycolate and starch phosphate esters and salts thereof, and so-called modified starches such as grafted starches), and salt-forming polysaccharides, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium salts thereof.
Of these, almost all edible polysaccharides except chitin are completely soluble in water or dilute alkaline aqueous solutions, and therefore the mechanical properties of molded products made from mixtures of these with cellulose are particularly excellent.

The polypeptides and polysaccharides used in the present invention may be in the form of biocomponents. Biocomponents are those containing both or either of polypeptides and polysaccharides derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms, and preferably contain at least 50% of the total solid content excluding water. Representative examples of plant-derived biocomponents include oil cakes, grains, beans, plant stems and leaves, algae, fruits, and tuberous roots. Specific examples include defatted soybeans, soybean oil cake, soybean flour, linseed oil cake, cottonseed oil cake, peanut oil cake, safflower meal, sesame oil cake, sunflower oil cake, wheat, barley, rice, and soybeans (full-fat soybeans). Biocomponents derived from animals include fish meal, fish solubles, meat meal, meat and bone meal,
Examples of bioconstituents include decomposed hair, decomposed skin, feather meal, skim milk powder, fish meat, livestock meat (beef, pork, mutton, etc.), organs, egg components (egg yolk, egg white), krill, milk components, etc. Bioconstituents derived from microorganisms include yeast, bacteria, and molds. These bioconstituents are primarily composed of proteins and/or polysaccharides, but also contain so-called contaminants such as lipids, nucleic acids, lignins, and inorganic salts. Even if they contain contaminants, they do not impede mixing with the cellulose solution, and may even have advantages such as improving spinnability and threadability, or providing appropriate fusion between the spun yarns.

The guest component selected from polypeptides, edible polysaccharides and biological components to be mixed with cellulose does not have to be a single one, and a combination of two or more kinds can also be used.

In the edible body of the present invention, cellulose II or (when an edible polysaccharide is used) a homogenate of cellulose II and an edible polysaccharide is present in an amount of at least 10% as a sea component or a continuum.

When a cross section of an edible structure is examined under a transmission electron microscope or an optical microscope, if one phase is distributed in a manner that envelops another phase, for example, as shown in the photograph in Figure 4, where the sea (A) surrounds the island (D), the latter is called a sea component.
Similarly, when a phase (C) is observed under a microscope, even if a cavity (B) is observed, as shown in the photograph in Figure 5, this phase is called a continuum.

Transmission electron micrographs are primarily used for observing cross sections, but optical micrographs can also be used when the sea component is observed over a large area.

Furthermore, "homogeneous body" is a general term for a constituent that appears to be one phase, even if small spots are visible in a microscopic photograph.
This is called a homogeneous body.

The reason why the sea part or the continuous body must be present at 10% or more is that the yarn or film must retain its shape and have adequate mechanical strength. In cases where the strength of the yarn or film is particularly required, for example, for casing applications, the proportion of the sea part or the continuous body is preferably 80 to 90% or more.

Generally, in the case of edible materials consisting of cellulose and edible polysaccharides, the two exist as a single homogeneous continuum.
In the case of edible matter consisting of cellulose and polypeptide, the cellulose exists as a sea component surrounding islands of polypeptide.

For example, when the edible object of the present invention, which is made of cellulose and isolated soy protein, is observed under a transmission electron microscope,
The size of the protein island components varies depending on the manufacturing method, but can range from a minimum of 0.05 μm to a maximum of 100 μm in cross section. This size is preferable for the texture. The shape of the island components varies, but they are generally circular or elliptical.

The microscopic examination method was as follows. Observation was carried out using a transmission electron microscope as follows. That is, the wet thread was dehydrated with methanol, replaced with methacrylate resin, and then embedded in the methacrylate resin. Ultrathin sections of 0.1 μm were prepared using an Ultratome manufactured by LKB. The resin of the sections was dissolved and removed using chloroform, and then the sections were scanned for 2 min at a voltage of 80 kV using a JEM1200EX transmission electron microscope manufactured by JEOL Ltd.
The specimens were observed at magnifications of 1000 to 6000. Sections were also prepared using a similar method under an optical microscope (however, the thickness of the sections was
After dissolving the resin in chloroform, the protein portion of the protein-based thread was stained with the dye alizarin blue, and the starch portion of the starch-based thread was stained with an iodine solution and examined under a microscope at 100 to 400 times magnification. Here, "cross section" means a cross section perpendicular to the extrusion direction in the case of extrusion molded products such as threads or films, and in the case of powders,
In the case of a sphere, etc., it means any cross section.

The edible molded product of the present invention contains 5% or more of cellulose based on its dry weight, depending on the type of edible polysaccharide and polypeptide.
% by weight or more, the strength can be maintained, but this ratio must be determined taking into consideration the purpose of the final molded product and the manufacturing characteristics. When considering the use in the food industry as mentioned above, for example, as an edible film or processed food (fabricated food), it is preferable that the polypeptides and edible polysaccharides (hereinafter, edible polysaccharides and polypeptides other than cellulose in the edible body will be referred to as guest components) are contained in the edible body of the present invention at 10% by weight or more, particularly 40% by weight or more. In particular, the mixing ratio (weight ratio) of cellulose to guest component, which can be eaten without any discomfort and does not remain in the mouth, is preferably 5:95 to 90:10, more preferably 10:90 to 60:40. In general, polypeptides,
In the solid mixture of edible polysaccharides and/or biocomponents with cellulose powder or fine fibers, the cellulose content is 10
% or more, it is inedible, remaining in the mouth and imparting a certain bitterness, and the outstanding properties of the mixture of the present invention can be understood. Furthermore, considering the reinforcing effect of cellulose, the mixture ratio of the guest component in the mixture is preferably 95% by weight or less. If the cellulose content is extremely small, even if cellulose with a high degree of polymerization is used, the mechanical strength of the edible molded product is hardly improved.
Preferably, the cellulose content is 5% by weight or more.

The edible molded product of the present invention can be produced as follows. First, a mixed dope of cellulose and other ingredients is prepared. In producing the dope used in the present invention,
1) The cellulose specified in the present invention is completely or partially dissolved in advance in an alkaline aqueous solution of a specific concentration, and the guest component is supplied in a powder or solid form thereto, followed by mixing and dissolving or mixing and dispersing, or 2) both are separately dissolved in a suitable alkaline aqueous solution and then mixed.

In the former case (first method), the alkali is used as an aqueous solution of about 2.0 to 2.5 normal (hereinafter abbreviated as N) to dissolve the cellulose. In this case, the dissolution temperature is in the range of 10°C to -10°C.
If this is not the case, the cellulose dissolved in the alkali will not dissolve completely, or even if it does dissolve completely, it will quickly gel, making it unsuitable for the subsequent mixing and spinning processes. Once dissolved, the cellulose solution can be diluted with water depending on the cellulose concentration, and this solution can also be used to mix and dissolve or mix and disperse the guest component. In the latter case (method 2), the cellulose dissolved in the alkali is dissolved by the above method.

Guest components such as polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, and/or biological components are also preferably dissolved in an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide. This may be done by heating to approximately 50°C. The alkali concentration used is 0.5 to 3.0 N. While there is no upper limit to the alkali concentration of the aqueous alkali solution, in the case of polypeptides, using an alkali solution with an excessively high concentration can easily cause decomposition of the main chain, so it is preferable to set the upper limit at the concentration of the aqueous alkali solution used to dissolve cellulose. However, the inventors have found that the presence of dissolved cellulose in the polypeptide solution significantly delays the alkali-induced decomposition of the polypeptide, which is one of the important effects of the present invention. An aqueous alkali solution of less than 0.5 N does not sufficiently dissolve the guest components. In the two-liquid mixing method, the alkali concentrations of the alkaline solutions of cellulose and the guest components (polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, and/or biological components) do not need to be the same; they can be selected appropriately taking into account the mixing conditions, the progress of gelation, etc.

A specific example of the alkaline solvent used to obtain the dope is an aqueous solution of a hydroxide of an alkali metal such as sodium. In particular, the hydroxide of these alkali metals is preferable from the viewpoint of safety when the final molded product is used in the fields of medicine and food, and this is one of the great advantages of the present invention.

When edible molded products are produced from these dopes using the method described later, the dissolved cellulose is generally regenerated into a cellulose II type crystal system, which allows the edible molded products to exhibit mechanical strength. In this respect, it is preferable that the cellulose is completely dissolved when producing the dope described above, in terms of the mechanical strength of the resulting molded products. In this case, the degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding Hb (3
+6) is 0-48% natural cellulose and Hb(3) is 0-15
% regenerated cellulose, and its solubility in alkali is almost 100%. However, in some cases, it may be preferable to have fine fibrous cellulose that is not originally dissolved in the mixture. In such cases, a dope can be used in which cellulose other than the cellulose dissolved in alkali specified in this specification is swollen and dispersed in an alkali dope consisting of cellulose and a guest component, with an upper limit of 50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the cellulose dissolved in alkali. If the amount of cellulose that is not originally dissolved exceeds the above 50 parts by weight, the mechanical strength of the final molded product cannot be guaranteed. Specifically, the cellulose used for this purpose is a dope in which Hb(3+6) is 49-60% native cellulose and Hb
(3) is 15-30% regenerated cellulose, and its solubility in alkali is 67-90%. In the case of this cellulose, the amount of the cellulose mixed must be adjusted so that the undissolved cellulose content falls within the upper limit specified above. Another example of the method for producing such a dope is the above-mentioned
It can be produced by mixing an alkaline solution prepared using native cellulose with an Hb(3+6) of 0-48% and regenerated cellulose with an Hb(3) of 0-15%, or an alkaline dope prepared by mixing and dissolving the same with a guest component, with a cellulose dispersion swollen and dispersed in an alkaline aqueous solution of less than 2N.
An aqueous alkaline solution of less than 2N, preferably less than 1.5N, will simply swell and disperse almost all cellulose.

If necessary, a third substance such as a diol, a polyol, an oil or fat, a seasoning, a coloring matter, or a fragrance may be added to the alkali dope comprising the cellulose and the guest component described above.

The edible molded product of the present invention is produced by extruding the above-mentioned dope directly into an acid bath or an acid bath containing salt using a conventional extruder, and molding the dope while simultaneously coagulating and neutralizing it.
The product is obtained by washing with water and drying if necessary (hereinafter referred to as "method a").

Another method is to extrude the above-mentioned dope into water or a neutral salt solution using a conventional extruder, solidify it, then pass it through an acidic aqueous solution to neutralize it, wash it with water, and dry it if necessary (hereinafter referred to as "the dope").
(abbreviated as "method b").

In the above methods a and b, stretching the polymer by 1.1 to 1.6 times in any of the coagulation, neutralization and drying steps gives molded products such as fibers and films with improved mechanical strength.

On the other hand, when producing powder or granules, the desired product can be obtained by simply stirring the dope discharged in the solidification or neutralization step.

Furthermore, after the water washing step, a fibrous, film-like, or granular molded product can be impregnated with an aliphatic alcohol or oil, either directly or in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion, and then dried to impart flexibility and elasticity to the molded product when impregnated with an aliphatic alcohol, or water repellency, water resistance, and transparency to the molded product when impregnated with an oil. In the case of a film, this treatment is usually carried out all the time.

Edible bodies consisting of cellulose and guest components often contain 10 to 1200 parts of water per 100 parts of dried edible body. In particular, the inclusion of several hundred parts by weight of water ensures ease of mixing with other components when this mixture is used secondarily, for example, as a food additive or for producing artificial meat, and also means that the edible body is obtained by a wet method, eliminating the need for an energy-consuming process such as drying the water.

The acids used in the coagulation and neutralization steps of this production method include nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, etc., which are used by dissolving them in water or an organic solvent. The concentration of the acid is not limited and may be selected appropriately from an economical standpoint.

The salts used in this step are preferably alkali metal salts or alkaline earth metal salts of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, etc. These salts may be mixed or used in combination with the above-mentioned acids. The concentration of the salts in the coagulation bath is 0.
The concentration ranges from 0 to saturation. Suitable organic solvents include alcohols, ketones, amides, sulfoxides, etc., but from an economical perspective, alcohols are preferred. Using alcohols can prevent the guest components from escaping into the coagulation bath and significantly weaken the intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the cellulose portion of the resulting mixture, improving the edibility and wet processability of the edible body. The temperature of the coagulation bath is between the freezing point of the bath composition liquid and 80°C. Temperatures above 80°C cause thermal decomposition of the edible body. The bath temperature of the coagulation bath is not critical, but lower temperatures often result in stronger edible molded products. The resulting edible molded products can be shredded and used in the process of manufacturing end-use products. Edible molded products typically contain 10 to 1,200 parts water per 100 parts dry weight.

The characteristic of the edible body obtained by the method described above is that, for example, when the edible body is made into a fiber or film form, it exhibits an elongation of 16% or more in a wet state, and up to about 40%. This is due to the extremely weak intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the molecules that make up the edible body.
This is also evident from the ^13C -NMR spectrum of the edible body obtained by method a. That is, regardless of the moisture content of the edible body, the fraction of the lower magnetic field side (the sharp peak component approximately lower than 85.5 ppm) of the two envelopes that appear in the C4 carbon peak region (90.0-78.8 ppm) of the D-glucose units that make up the cellulose and starch molecules is low at 8-50%, indicating essentially little intramolecular hydrogen bonding. This suggests that the edible body has the ability to retain moisture well when wet, and that the edible body has excellent processability when wet in the case of fibers or films.

Furthermore, as mentioned in the above method a, edible films can also be produced, but in this case, the film is made of cellulose and starch.
Taking the 1:1 mixed system as an example, the obtained film was air-dried, and the inaccessible content (fraction of hydroxyl groups that were not deuterated) determined by the deuteration IR method described later was 32-34%.
Furthermore, the optical density of the peak at 3430 cm ⁻¹ due to intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the IR absorption region due to hydroxyl groups at equilibrium deuteration reached by the experimental method defined in this specification,
The optical density ratio (Hb) of the peak at 3360 cm ⁻¹ is 1.2 times or less, and the development of intramolecular hydrogen bonds is low.

The experimental method for the deuteration IR method used as a parameter indicating the structure of the edible material consisting of cellulose and a guest component of the present invention and the method for evaluating the inaccessible fraction are described below. The outline of the apparatus is shown in Figure 2. An edible film adjusted to a thickness of 10 to 30 μm is placed in the deuteration cell (6). The cell (6) is designed to remove moisture and prevent the absorption of heavy water.
Set the temperature to 70°C. Leave it for 10 minutes to remove excess water, then add the blank (edible film before deuteration).
IR spectrum is measured. Next, dry N gas at 25°C obtained from the cylinder (1) through drying silica gel (2) is poured into the flask at a flow rate of 1000 kJ/min.
Feed rate: 1000 ml/min ((3) is a flow meter), 25°C
The heavy water (20cc) set in the deuterium dioxide gas bubbler (4) was placed in the deuterium dioxide gas bubbler (4), and nitrogen gas was bubbled through it. The heavy water was then introduced into the deuterium cell (6) to deuterate the sample on the sample stage (5). The sample was deuterized under these conditions for 120 minutes, resulting in I
The IR spectrum is measured with an IR spectrometer (7).

First, as shown in Figure 3, a baseline was drawn that touched the spectrum at 3600 cm ^-1 and 3000 cm ^-1 , and then the spectrum at 3430 cm ^-1 and 3360 cm
The transmittance at the intersection of the perpendicular line corresponding to 3430 cm ⁻¹ and the baseline was adopted as the intensity I ₀ of the incident light at each wave number.
The transmittance at the intersection of the perpendicular line and the spectrum for each wave number was used as the intensity I of the transmitted light at 3360 ^{cm -1} and 3360 cm ^-1 . Hb was calculated from the obtained I ₀ and I using the following formula:

The inaccessible fraction was calculated by the method proposed by J. Mann, HJ Marrinan et al. in Trans. Faraday Soc., 52, 492 (1956).

The characteristics of the edible material obtained by the method b above are that, for example, in the case of a mixture of cellulose and starch, regardless of the moisture content of the edible material, in the ^13C -NMR spectrum of the edible material, of the roughly two envelopes that appear in the C4 carbon peak region (90.0-78.8 ppm) of the D-glucose units that make up the cellulose and guest components, the fraction on the low magnetic field side (sharp peak component, roughly on the low magnetic field side of 85.5 ppm) is 45.
The edible material has a high intramolecular hydrogen bond strength of about 65%. Therefore, the edible material has high mechanical properties in both dry and wet states in the case of fibers or films.
The edible film of the present invention is a film of cellulose II and starch.
Taking the 1:1 mixed system as an example, the obtained film was air-dried, and the inaccessible content (fraction of hydroxyl groups that were not deuterated) determined by the deuteration IR method was 44-47%. Furthermore, the optical density of the peak at 3430 cm ^-1 due to intramolecular hydrogen bonding in the IR absorption region due to hydroxyl groups at equilibrium deuteration was 44-47%.
The optical density ratio (Hb) of the peak at 3360 cm ^-1 is 1.2 times or more, which indicates the development of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The fact that inaccessible moieties exhibit intramolecular hydrogen bonds is one measure of high structural regularity and ensures the retention of high mechanical properties.

To further improve the mechanical properties of the edible fibers and films obtained by methods a and b, it is possible to produce edible fibers with a higher degree of orientation. For this purpose, stretching can be performed in a coagulation bath or with a heated roller before or after washing with water. The temperature used for this is 40-200°C. Below 40°C, the stretching effect is insignificant, while above 200°C, there is a risk of deterioration of the final product. A stretching degree of about 1.2 times results in a sufficient improvement in strength. By orienting the constituent polymers, the strength can be obtained to the same extent as that of natural collagen membranes, making it suitable for use in sausage casings, for example.

The edible molded product of the present invention has a wide variety of shapes, such as fiber, film, sphere, powder, and granule.
The composition of the molded products is also diverse, allowing for a wide range of applications. For example, in the food industry, the fibrous material can be used as an additive or reinforcing material for processed fish products such as kamaboko, fish sausage, and canned crab, as well as an additive or reinforcing material for processed meat products such as sausage, corned beef, and ham.
Furthermore, the fibrous material can be bundled in some way, seasoned, and used as artificial meat or a mixed meat with natural meat.
Film- and sheet-shaped products can be used for food applications such as casings and edible cooking films, while spherical and granular products can be used as fish roe substitutes, such as artificial salmon roe. Powder and granular products can be used as food additives to emulsify and shape foods, and are used in ice cream, kamaboko,
The edible molded product of the present invention can be used in a wide range of applications, including noodles, gyoza dumplings, and shumai wrappers. As mentioned above, the edible molded product of the present invention can be eaten without discomfort even when it contains a large amount of cellulose, and the intestinal regulating effect of cellulose can be effectively exerted, so that it can be used in pharmaceutical tablets in addition to the above-mentioned foods. The present invention will be explained below using examples, but is not limited to these.

Example 1 Benliese regenerated cellulose nonwoven fabric, manufactured by Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
After thoroughly washing and drying, a 2.5% by weight concentration of 2.5N
The soybeans were dissolved in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide.
Protein Isolation Fujipro R (Made by Fuji Oil) and cellulose
The dry weight ratio of soy protein isolate to cellulose was 5:
Mix in ratios of 5, 7:3, and 8:2 and mix in a high-speed mixer (Nippon Seiki)
The three homogeneous dopes were obtained by stirring and mixing them in a PET bottle manufactured by PET Co., Ltd.
After filtering through a 250 mesh screen,
From a 5mmφ nozzle with 150 holes, the discharge rate is 45cc/min.
HCl 5% by weight, CaCl₂4% by weight of the coagulation bath,
The fiber is wound at a winding speed of 7m/min, washed with water, and then extracted with edible protein.
Fiber was obtained.

Ultrathin sections were prepared from the obtained fibers by the method described in the specification, and the sections were analyzed using a JEOL Ltd. transmission electron microscope JEM1200E.
When examined under an X-ray microscope at an accelerating voltage of 80 kV and magnifications of 2000 to 6000, all samples were found to have a sea-island structure in which the sea component was cellulose. The size of the island components was a maximum of 200 μm and a minimum of 0.2 μm (see Figures 6 to 8). To confirm that the island components were the protein portion, a section of the thread with a soy protein/cellulose ratio of 7/3 was stained with alizarin blue, a dye that stains proteins, and observed under an optical microscope. Only the island components were stained blue.

Comparative Example 1 The soy protein isolate Fujipro R used in Example 1 was diluted to 1.8
15% by weight sodium hydroxide aqueous solution
This solution was dissolved in a microcrystalline silicate (manufactured by Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).
Lurose Avicel Add to the solution and stir with a high speed stirrer.
Mix and add Avicel : Soy protein = 3/7 (by weight
A dope of 1000 ppm (ratio) was prepared.

This mixed dope was cast on a glass plate, coagulated in the same coagulation bath as in Example 1, and washed with water to obtain a film.

The resulting film was stained with alizarin blue and examined under an optical microscope, revealing that Avicel was present as islands in the protein component (see FIG. 9).

Example 2 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of about 100% by weight and spun at 30 kg/cm
The cellulose was ^then crushed for 20 seconds to obtain a cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 400. This cellulose was then added to a 2.5N sodium hydroxide solution.
It dissolved at a concentration of 6.0% by weight.

Next, cornstarch was dissolved in a 2.5N aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to a concentration of 5.0% by weight.

The solutions were mixed in a ratio of 5:6 to prepare a dope consisting of cellulose and cornstarch in a weight ratio of 1:1. The dope was degassed in a centrifuge at 5000 rpm for 20 minutes, cast onto a glass plate, and then washed _with 14 g/dl of _H2SO4 and 2 g/ _{dl of Na2SO4} .
The film was obtained by coagulating in a coagulation bath containing 6 g/dL of cellulose acetate and rinsing with water.

This film was embedded in resin in the same manner as in Example 1.
The sections were then cut in the same manner as in Example 1.
When examined under a transmission electron microscope, the entire structure was found to be continuous, and it was not possible to distinguish between the cornstarch and cellulose portions (see Figure 5).

Furthermore, when the slice was stained with an iodine solution and observed under an optical microscope, the entire slice was stained blue-purple, making it impossible to distinguish the sea-island portions.

Example 3: Regenerated cellulose nonwoven fabric "Benliese" manufactured by Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
After thoroughly washing and drying, it was dissolved in a 2.0N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at a concentration of 2.2% by weight. Cornstarch (manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was added to this solution in a powder form so that the weight ratio of cellulose to cornstarch was 2:8, and the mixture was mixed and stirred in a high-speed mixer manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd. to obtain a homogeneous dope. After filtering through a 250-mesh screen,
From a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.25 mm and 150 holes, H ₂ SO ₄ 14 g/dl, Na
The mixture was discharged at a rate of 45 cc/min into a coagulation bath containing 26 g/dl of ₂ SO ₄ , wound at a winding speed of 7 m/min, and washed with water to obtain edible starch fiber.

When the obtained fibers were examined under a transmission electron microscope in the same manner as in Example 1, it was found that the entire fibers had a continuous network structure.

Separately, sections were stained with iodine solution of IN and observed under an optical microscope.
Approximately 20(D) circular or oval blue-purple stained island components were present.

Example 4 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of 100% by weight ^and
The cellulose was then crushed for 0 seconds to obtain a cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 400.

A 4.5 wt % solution of this cellulose was prepared using 2.5N sodium hydroxide as a solvent.

Next, the polypeptides shown in Table 1 were dissolved in 1.0 N sodium hydroxide solution to a concentration of 20% by weight.

The two solutions were mixed so that the weight ratio of cellulose to polypeptide was 1:1, and after degassing, the mixture was cast onto a glass plate and then immersed in a coagulation bath containing 14 g/dL _CaCl2 and adjusted to pH 2 for 2 minutes to coagulate.

The film was immersed in a 1.5% aqueous solution of glycerin, taken out, washed with water, and then air-dried at room temperature, yielding a homogeneous film.

The tensile strength of these films was as follows:

Comparative Example 4: Alaska pulp with a degree of polymerization of 1200 was dispersed in a 2.5 N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 4.5% by weight. (In this case, it was not dissolved and remained cloudy.) Next, as shown in Example 4, a polypeptide was dissolved in a 1.0 N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 20% by weight.

Each solution was mixed with cellulose and polypeptide at a weight ratio of 1:
The mixture was mixed to a ratio of 1, and a film was formed in the same manner as in Example 4.

Although both solidified, they were so fragile that it was impossible to measure their strength.

Example 5 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of 100% by weight and 30kJ/min.
The powder was ^then crushed under conditions of 10 ...

This cellulose was dissolved in a 2.0N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide to a concentration of 5% by weight, and water was added to this solution to prepare a 3% by weight solution of cellulose.

This cellulose solution is mixed with soy protein isolate (Fujipro®
・Fuji Purina Protein Co., Ltd.) to cellulose:
Soy protein isolate was added at a weight ratio of 2:8 and dissolved and dispersed uniformly.

After degassing, the mixed dope was discharged from a nozzle with 0.25 mm diameter and 150 holes into a coagulation bath containing 14 g/dl of sulfuric acid and 26 g/dl of sodium sulfate, wound up at a winding speed of 10 m/min, and thoroughly washed with water to obtain a fibrous extrusion.

The resulting fiber was an excellent edible molded product that exhibited desirable elasticity. When this molded product was tasted, it was found to have a very pleasant texture.

Comparative Example 5 Cellulose obtained by grinding Alaska pulp (degree of polymerization 1200) was added to a 1.5N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 3% by weight and dispersed therein.

Soybean isolated protein was added to this cellulose solution in the same manner as in Example 5, and spinning was attempted in the same manner.

The resulting product was very brittle, and when tasted, the cellulose remained in the mouth, which was undesirable.

Example 6 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of 100% by weight and spun at 30 kg/cm
The mixture was then crushed at 1000kJ/m ² for 20 seconds to obtain cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 400.

This cellulose was dissolved in a 2.0N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide for 4.5 minutes.
% by weight.

Next, the following polysaccharides were added to a 1.5N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide for 10 minutes.
It was dissolved at a concentration of 100% by weight.

The two solutions were mixed so that the weight ratio of cellulose to polysaccharide was 1:1, and after degassing, the mixture was cast onto a glass plate.

This plate was immersed for 2 minutes in an aqueous solution containing ₁₄ g/dl CaCl2 and adjusted to a pH of 2, then immersed in a 1.5% aqueous solution of glycerin, removed, immersed in water, and air-dried at room temperature.
A homogeneous film was obtained.

The tensile strength of this film was as follows:

The wet strength was measured by mounting the specimen on a tensile tester, covering the specimen with water-soaked paper, and leaving it for 5 minutes before carrying out the tensile test.

Comparative Example 6 Alaska pulp (degree of polymerization 1200) was added to a 2.0 N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 4.5% by weight and dispersed (in this case, it did not dissolve and was cloudy). Next, the polysaccharides shown in Table 2 of Example 6 were mixed in the same manner as in Example 6 so that the weight ratio of cellulose to polysaccharide was 1:1, and film formation was attempted in the same manner as in Example 6. However, although both coagulated, they were very fragile and it was impossible to measure their strength.

Example 7: Using amylose, the same procedure as in Example 6 was repeated except that the amylose to cellulose ratio was 7:3 (by weight).
A mixed dope was obtained.

After degassing, sulfuric acid 1 was injected from a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.25 mm and 150 holes.
The mixture was discharged into a coagulation bath containing 4 g/dl of cellulose acetate and 26 g/dl of sodium sulfate, wound up at a winding speed of 10 m/min, and thoroughly washed with water to obtain a fibrous molded product.

When this molded product was tasted, it was found to have a very pleasant texture.

Comparative Example 7 Cellulose obtained by grinding Alaska pulp (degree of polymerization 1200) was dispersed in a 2.0 N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 4.5% by weight.

Using this cellulose solution and the amylose solution used in Example 7, spinning was attempted in the same manner as in Example 7. The resulting molded article was very brittle.

Comparative Example 8 Sodium alginate and pullulan were dissolved in water to a concentration of 10% by weight, cast, and then dried to obtain a film.

An attempt was made to measure the wet strength of this film by the method of Example 6, but the film broke when it came into contact with water, making it impossible to measure.

Example 8 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of 100% by weight and spun at 30 kg/cm
The mixture was then crushed at 1000kJ/m ² for 20 seconds to obtain cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 400.

This cellulose was dissolved in a 2.5N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide for 4.5 minutes.
It was dissolved at a concentration of 100% by weight.

Next, the biostructures shown in Table 3 below were dissolved in 1.5N sodium hydroxide solution so that the solid content was 20% by weight.
Dispersed.

The two solutions were mixed so that the weight ratio of cellulose to biostructure was 1:1, and after degassing, the mixture was cast onto a glass plate.
Immerse for 2 minutes in a coagulation solution containing 14 g/dl _Cl2 and adjusted to pH 2.
After washing with water, the film was immersed in a 1.5% aqueous solution of glycerin, removed, and air-dried at room temperature, yielding a homogeneous film.

The tensile strength of this film was as follows:

Comparative Example 9 Alaska pulp with a degree of polymerization of 1200 was dispersed in a 2.5N sodium hydroxide solution at a concentration of 4.5% by weight.
The biocomponents shown in Table 3 of Example 8 were then mixed in the same manner as in Example 8 so that the weight ratio of cellulose to biocomponents was 1:1.
The mixture was mixed so as to obtain the above mixture, and an attempt was made to form a film in the same manner as in Example 8. However, in all cases, the mixture was not solidified and film formation was impossible.

Example 9 Alaska pulp was adjusted to a moisture content of 100% by weight and 30kJ/min.
The powder was ^then crushed under conditions of 10 ...

This cellulose was dissolved in a 2.0N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide to give a 3.0
Next, full-fat soy flour (NI Protein NIP-D; manufactured by Gekkei Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was mixed with this solution at a cellulose:full-fat soy flour ratio of 3:7 (by weight), and the mixture was emulsified and dispersed at 5°C.

The obtained dope was degassed and then discharged through a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.25 mm and 50 holes into a coagulation bath containing 14 g/dL of sulfuric acid and 26 g/dL of sodium sulfate, and wound up at a winding speed of 11 m/min.
After thorough washing with water, a fibrous molded product was obtained.

The resulting fiber exhibited a desirable elasticity similar to that of natural meat and was an excellent edible product.

Comparative Example 10 NI Protein NIP-D was emulsified and dispersed in 2.5N sodium hydroxide at a concentration of 10% by weight.

After degassing, spinning was attempted in the same manner as in Example 9, but the coagulation was poor and spinning was impossible.

Example 10 Alaska pulp (degree of polymerization 1200) was simmered in 6N sulfuric acid at 60°C.
The cellulose was hydrolyzed at 400°C for 120 minutes to obtain cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 410.
This cellulose was adjusted to a moisture content of 80% by weight and further treated three times using a twin-screw extruder (manufactured by Suehiro Iron Works) with a screw diameter of 80 mm and L/D = 8 at a rotation speed of 120 rpm and 150°C to obtain cellulose with a degree of polymerization of 370.

A 5% by weight solution of this cellulose was prepared using 2.0N sodium hydroxide solution as a solvent.

Separately, dissolve minced beef in 2.5N sodium hydroxide.
Dispersed.

The solutions were mixed so that the weight ratio of cellulose to beef (solid content) was 2/8. After degassing, the mixture was passed through a pore diameter of 0.25 mm.
From a nozzle with 150 holes, 14g/dl of sulfuric acid and 26g/d of sodium sulfate
The mixture was extruded into a coagulation bath containing 1, wound up at a speed of 10 m/min, and thoroughly washed with water to obtain a fibrous molded product. The obtained molded product was tasted and found to have a very pleasant texture.

Comparative Example 11 Cellulose obtained by grinding Alaska pulp (degree of polymerization 1200) was dispersed at a concentration of 5% by weight and at a concentration of 2.0N.

Using this cellulose solution, a fibrous molded product was obtained in the same manner as in Example 10.

The resulting molded product was very brittle, and when tasted, the cellulose remained in the mouth, which was undesirable.

Example 11 Alaska pulp in an amount of 2% by weight based on the cellulose was dispersed in a 2.5N sodium hydroxide solution in which the same cellulose as used in Example 2 had been dissolved to a concentration of 4.5% by weight.

Next, potato starch was dissolved in a 2.5N aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide to a concentration of 10% by weight.

The two liquids were mixed so that the total amount of cellulose and the amount of starch were equal, and after degassing, the mixture was cast onto a glass plate.

This plate was immersed for 2 minutes in an aqueous solution containing 14 g/dl of H ₂ SO ₄ and 24 g/dl of Na ₂ SO ₄ , then immersed in water, and air-dried at room temperature to obtain a homogeneous film.

The tensile strength of this film was 240 kg/cm ^2. The texture was slightly cellulose-like, but chewable.

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Claims (26)

[Claims] [Claim 1] An edible body comprising a structure containing cellulose having the crystalline form of cellulose II regenerated from an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide and at least one guest component selected from polypeptides and edible polysaccharides, wherein the structure contains at least 10% or more of cellulose II or a homogeneous body of cellulose II and edible polysaccharides as a sea component or continuum. 2. The edible body according to claim 1, wherein the degree of polymerization of the cellulose is in the range of 100 to 1200. Claim 3: The weight ratio of cellulose to guest component is 5:95 or more
The edible body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is in the range of 90:10. Claim 4: The weight ratio of cellulose to guest component is 10:90
The edible body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of saturates to saturates is in the range of 60:40. 5. The edible body according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is at least one selected from natural proteins and partial hydrolysates thereof. 6. An edible body according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide is at least one selected from soybean protein, casein, albumin, globulin, gelatin, and their Na, K and Ca salts, and their hydrolysates. 7. The edible polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, galactan arabic, alginic acid, gadi gum, carrageenan, karaya gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, konjac flour,
The edible body according to claim 1, which is at least one selected from tamarind, curcuma gum, tracant gum, furcellaran, pullulan, pectin, chitin, locust bean gum, xylan, mannan, various starches, and their Na, K and Ca salts. Claim 8: 5 parts by weight of dissolved cellulose
A method for producing an edible object, characterized in that at least one guest component selected from polypeptides, edible polysaccharides, and biological structures containing them as main components is added directly or after being dissolved or dispersed in an alkaline aqueous solution to an alkaline solution in which 0 parts by weight or less of undissolved cellulose is swollen and dispersed, to prepare a dope in which 50% by weight or more of the total guest components are dissolved in the dope, and the dope is extruded using an extruder, coagulated, neutralized, washed with water, and dried if necessary. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the coagulation and neutralization are carried out in an acid bath or an acid bath containing a salt. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the coagulation is carried out in water or a neutral salt solution, and the neutralization is carried out in an acidic aqueous solution. 11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein stretching is carried out at a draw ratio of 1.1 to 1.6 in at least one of the steps of coagulation, neutralization, water washing and drying. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of the total cellulose to the total guest components in the dope is in the range of 5:95 to 90:10.
12. The method for producing a compound according to any one of items 1 to 11. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of the total cellulose to the total guest components in the dope is in the range of 10:90 to 60:40.
12. The method for producing a compound according to any one of items 1 to 11. 14. The cellulose used is CP/MAS ¹³
Native cellulose in which the degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding at the C3 and C6 positions, Hb(3+6), determined by C-NMR measurement, is 60% or less, or the degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding at the C3 position, Hb(3), is 3
8. The regenerated cellulose has a solubility in alkali of 67 to 100% by weight.
14. The method for producing a compound according to any one of items 1 to 13. 15. The cellulose used is CP/MAS ¹³
8 to 10, which are native cellulose in which the degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding at the C3 and C6 positions, Hb(3+6), as determined by C-NMR measurement, is 0 to 48% or regenerated cellulose in which the degree of intramolecular hydrogen bonding at the C3 position, Hb(3), is 0 to 15%, and which are substantially free of undissolved cellulose.
14. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14. 16. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein the dissolved cellulose content is 0.2 to 15% by weight of the total dope weight. 17. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 16, wherein the degree of polymerization of the cellulose is 100 to 1,200. 18. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 17, wherein the alkali is a hydroxide of an alkali metal. 19. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 17, wherein the alkali is sodium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide. 20. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 19, wherein the polypeptide is a natural protein, a partial hydrolysate thereof, or a Na, K or Ca salt thereof. 21. The polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, casein, albumin, globulin, gelatin, and their Na and K components.
20. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 19, wherein the compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydroxybenzoates, hydroxybenzoates, and Ca salts and hydrolysates thereof. 22. The edible polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, galactan arabic, alginic acid, gadi gum, carrageenan,
A manufacturing method described in any one of claims 8 to 21, wherein the polysaccharide is karaya gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, konjac flour, tamarind, curcuma gum, tracant gum, furcellaran, pullulan, pectin, chitin, locust bean gum, xylan, mannan, various starches, or Na, K or Ca salts of these edible polysaccharides that have salt-forming properties. 23. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 22, wherein the biological components are selected from biological components containing proteins and polysaccharides derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms as main components.
The manufacturing method described in paragraph . 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the plant-derived biological components are selected from the group consisting of oil cakes, grains, beans, plant stems and leaves, algae, and tuberous roots. 25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the animal-derived biological component is fish meat, livestock meat, organs, egg components or milk components. 26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the biological constituents derived from microorganisms are yeasts, bacteria or fungi.