JP2001275590A - Modifier composition for frozen cooked rice - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a modifier composition for frozen cooked rice which enables the maintenance of quality before being frozen even when naturally being thawed and enables cooked rice food capable of being eaten in an unheated condition after being thawed to be obtained without applying the special alteration of a producing process. SOLUTION: This modifier composition is powdery and is obtained by preparing an oil-in-water type emulsion mentioned below and then by spray-drying the emulsion: the emulsion comprises (A) a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of >=8, (B) at least one kind selected from the group consisting of lecithin, a glycerol fatty acid ester, an organic acid monoglyceride, a polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a sorbitan fatty acid ester, (C) edible fat and oil and (D) a compound belonging to saccharides; and the formulation ratio of the ingredient B is 0-100 pts.wt. based on 100 pts.wt. of the ingredient A, the formulation ratio of the ingredient C is 100-500 pts.wt. based on a total of 100 pts.wt. of the ingredients A and B, and the formulation ratio of the ingredient D is 90-40 wt.% based on a total of 10-60 wt.% of the ingredient A, B and C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a modifier composition for frozen cooked rice, and more particularly, to a frozen food which is more suitable to be thawed naturally than to actively cook and thaw frozen rice food. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modifier composition used for frozen sushi, frozen rice balls, and the like, and more particularly, to a method in which frozen cooked rice food is not heated, that is, at a room temperature or higher (hereinafter, referred to as “room temperature or higher”). The present invention relates to a modifier composition used for frozen cooked rice that can be eaten by thawing, and to restore cooked rice food that retains the texture (hardness, stickiness, etc.) and appearance similar to that before freezing even after thawing. The present invention relates to a modifier composition for use in frozen cooked rice food (frozen cooked rice food that can be eaten by non-heating and thawing).

[0002] "Natural thawing at room temperature or higher" in the present invention
The term “thawing” refers to thawing by leaving at room temperature or higher (less than 60 ° C.), thawing by blowing air at room temperature, thawing with running water, and the like, and “heating” means that starch is gelatinized. It means that the temperature is raised by a microwave oven or a water bath at a temperature exceeding 60 ° C.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Frozen cooked rice is heated in a microwave oven at the time of eating, or it is thawed by heating the pilaf or the like by direct heat. In the case of cooked rice food that is good for warming, the above-described thawing method is convenient, but it is said that it is not necessary to eat in a warm state in frozen cooked rice food, or rather it is better not to warm it There are also products (for example, cooked rice products such as sushi and rice balls).

[0004] If the food reconstituted by natural thawing at room temperature can be maintained in terms of appearance and texture (hardness, stickiness, etc.) comparable to that before freezing, a warm state like sushi or onigiri can be obtained. Although it is particularly useful for cooked rice products that do not need to be eaten at all or should not be warmed, the reality is that the natural thawing method reduces the gloss and clarity of the rice, and the texture is hard and sticky In the case of those which have become severely aged, the so-called white wax occurs, and the appearance is remarkably deteriorated. Naturally, rice products with such a change are not suitable for eating.

[0005] Since the temperature range in which the above-mentioned damage is remarkably caused in thawing is 5 ° C, a method of forcibly coping with thawing in a microwave oven when eating is conceivable.

[0006] However, thawing in a microwave oven causes the fragrance peculiar to frozen foods, for example, the sushi peculiarity to be lost, and furthermore, many sushi ingredients are not suitable for microwave thawing. At present, there are restrictions on its application, and it was not practical.

[0007] In addition, in the case of natural thawing of frozen cooked rice at room temperature, some cases have been examined by adding a large amount of sugars and food emulsifiers, but there are cases in which the taste and odor are unpleasant and the characteristics of the emulsifier are utilized. A complicated operation of once heating and melting and then cooling was required. Moreover, the effect of suppressing aging was not sufficient.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies on a method capable of preventing the aging of frozen cooked rice, an oil-in-water emulsion is prepared with a sucrose fatty acid ester having a specific composition and another emulsifier, and this emulsion is sprayed. It has been found that these problems can be solved by dispersing the dried product in water after washing rice and cooking the rice.

[0009] The modifier for frozen cooked rice according to claim 1 comprises spray-drying an oil-in-water emulsion containing (A) a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of 8 or more, (C) an edible oil and fat, and (D) a saccharide compound. It is obtained by doing.

The composition according to claim 2, wherein the oil-in-water emulsion further comprises (B) a group consisting of lecithin, glycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, polyglycerin fatty acid ester and sorbitan fatty acid ester. And at least one other.

The modifier composition for frozen cooked rice according to claim 3 is the composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the proportion of the component (B) is 100 parts by weight of the component (A). 0 to 100 parts by weight, and the compounding ratio of the component (C) is 100 to 900 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total of the components (A) and (B).

The modifier composition for frozen cooked rice according to claim 4 is the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the components (A), (B), and (C) )) The compounding ratio of the component (D) with respect to the total amount of the components of 5 to 60% by weight is 95 to 40% by weight.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Component (A) (Sucrose fatty acid ester
G) The component (A) used in the present invention is a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of 8 or more. HL of sucrose fatty acid ester
If B is less than 8, the emulsifying power is insufficient, and sufficient performance cannot be expected. In addition, it is preferable that HLB is 11 or more.

The fatty acids to be used include saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, or mixtures thereof.

Component (B) The component (B) used in the present invention is at least one selected from the group consisting of lecithin, glycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, polyglycerin fatty acid ester and sorbitan fatty acid ester.

Lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylserine. Lecithin includes crude lecithin containing fats and oils, high-purity lecithin purified using a solvent, and lysolecithin obtained by subjecting them to enzyme treatment, and any of them can be used.

The glycerin fatty acid ester (monoglyceride) is a monoester of glycerin and a fatty acid, and the fatty acid includes a saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having 12 to 22 carbon atoms or a mixture thereof.

The organic acid monoglyceride is obtained by further esterifying an organic acid with the above-mentioned monoglyceride, and examples thereof include lactic acid monoglyceride, citrate monoglyceride, succinic monoglyceride, and diacetyltartaric acid monoglyceride.

The polyglycerin fatty acid ester is a polyglycerin having an average degree of polymerization of 2 to 10 and a fatty acid ester-bonded thereto. Constituent fatty acids have 12 to 12 carbon atoms
22 saturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids or mixtures thereof.

The sorbitan fatty acid ester is a sorbitan, sorbite or sorbide esterified with a fatty acid. The constituent fatty acid includes a saturated fatty acid having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, an unsaturated fatty acid or a mixture thereof.

It is preferable that the emulsion particles in the emulsion are finer, but it is preferable to blend the component (B) because the emulsion particles can be made finer.

(C) Component (Edible Oil) The edible oil used in the present invention includes soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. Oils and fats, animal fats and oils such as lard, beef tallow and fish oil, and their transesterified oils and hydrogenated oils can be used. In particular, among these fats and oils, liquid fats and oils are preferable. The raw material fats and oils may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

(D) Component (Saccharide Compound) Examples of the saccharide compound used in the present invention include monosaccharides such as fructose and glucose, disaccharides such as sucrose and lactose, polysaccharides such as dextrin, and saccharides such as sorbitol and trehalose. Alcohol and the like. These may be used alone or in a combination of two or more.

Other (Blending Ratio, etc.) The blending ratio of the component (B) is desirably 0 to 100 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the component (A).

The effect of the component (B) appears when the mixing ratio of the component (B) is about 1.0 part by weight or more with respect to 100 parts by weight of the component (A).

If the compounding ratio of the component (B) exceeds 100 parts by weight, the amount of the sucrose fatty acid ester having a high HLB becomes relatively small, making it difficult to prepare a stable oil-in-water emulsion. As a result, there is a possibility that the expected performance cannot be obtained.

On the other hand, these oil-in-water emulsions form microemulsions and penetrate from the surface of rice grains into the interior to form a complex with starch, and as a result, have a significant function in suppressing aging of starch. When the food emulsifier alone is used, the emulsifier penetrates into the inside, but at the same time, it has a disadvantage that the rice surface is significantly roughened and its appearance is impaired. The effect of inhibiting the aging of starch without impairing the appearance can be achieved only by preparing an oil-in-water emulsion.

The compounding ratio of the component (C) in the modifier composition according to the present invention is such that the emulsifier component (component A and component B) is 100
It is desirable that the amount be 100 to 900 parts by weight based on parts by weight. If the amount of the component (C) is less than 100 parts by weight, the above-mentioned effects of the fats and oils may not be sufficiently achieved, and as a result, the texture may be reduced. On the other hand, when the component (C) exceeds 900 parts by weight, there is a possibility that the powdering may be hindered. The preferred range of the component (C) is 100 to 600 with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the components A and B.

Further, the mixing ratio of the component (D) to the total amount of the components (A), (B) and (C) is as follows:
(A + B + C) component: (D) component = 5 to 60% by weight: 9
It is desirably 5 to 40% by weight. (A + B + C)
If the amount of the component is less than 5% by weight, the amount of the modifier composition added at the time of production must be increased, which is disadvantageous economically and tends to reduce the effect of suppressing starch aging.

On the other hand, if the content of the component (A + B + C) exceeds 60% by weight, powdering may be difficult. The preferred range is (A + B + C) component: (D) component = 20 to
50.

In the present invention, the emulsifier component (A component and B component) is modified so that 0.05 to 3.00% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 2.0% by weight is added to raw rice. A filler composition is used. When the amount of the emulsifier component is less than 0.05% by weight, the effect of suppressing deterioration of the texture due to aging of the starch tends to be small. On the other hand, if the content exceeds 3.00% by weight, the cost of the target product increases, and the flavor may be impaired by the emulsifier, which is disadvantageous.

The modifier composition of the present invention is preferably used by dispersing it in water added at the time of addition. In addition, low amylose rice is recommended as the rice used in the present invention, but is not limited thereto.

Examples of the method for preparing the oil-in-water emulsion include emulsifiers such as a homomixer, a homogenizer, and a colloid mill generally used in the food industry.
These emulsifiers are not particularly limited in selection. The conditions for emulsification are not particularly limited. Spray drying is performed by a known method, but is not particularly limited as long as an emulsion composed of the above components can be dried.

In preparing the emulsion, a stabilizer such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, crystalline cellulose, or sodium caseinate may be used in combination with the components specified in the present invention, as long as the object of the present invention is not hindered. .

The frozen cooked rice food according to the present invention is a food that can be naturally thawed and eaten at a temperature range of room temperature or higher, and specifically includes sushi and rice balls.

The above-mentioned food is generally washed with rice, hydrated, dipped,
Rice cooking, steaming, addition of seasoning liquids and ingredients, production, packaging and freezing, but in the present invention, for example, during the addition of water, the above-described spray-dried oil-in-water emulsion is dispersed in the water. Used by letting

[Actions] The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on the action of the oil-in-water emulsion (the modifier composition of the present invention) on the above-mentioned frozen cooked rice food which can be eaten naturally by thawing at a temperature range of room temperature or higher. (1) that an oil-in-water emulsion prepared using a sucrose fatty acid ester having a high HLB value and another emulsifier effectively penetrates into the rice without damaging the surface of the rice;
The oil-in-water emulsion forms a complex with rice starch to suppress starch aging. (3) Since the oil-in-water emulsion exudes to the interface of rice, binding between rice grains is suppressed. (4) It has been found that the spray-dried product of the oil-in-water emulsion has excellent dispersibility in water, and the present invention has been accomplished.

In the oil-in-water emulsion according to the present invention, a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of 8 or more is essential as an emulsifier component. In addition, although HLB of the whole composition may be lowered by mixing the components (A) to (D), there is no problem since the emulsifying power is synergistically improved by the blending.

[0039]

EXAMPLES Examples and comparative examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

A. Preparation Example of Modifier Composition and Comparative Preparation
Examples The emulsifier components (A component +) described in the following [Table 1] and [Table 2]
B component), fats and oils (C component) and saccharide compounds (D component)
Were prepared in the proportions shown in the same table to obtain a total of 10
0 parts by weight of the mixture were obtained. At the time of preparation, the order of addition of each component does not matter.

Water is added to 30 parts by weight of 100 parts by weight of this mixture.
The mixture was added at a ratio of 0 parts by weight and stirred while heating to prepare an emulsion (see the following emulsification conditions). Then, a powdery modifier composition was obtained from this emulsion (see the following spray drying conditions).

Emulsification conditions: TK auto homomixer, 80
00 rpm, 5 minutes. Thereafter, the mixture was emulsified with a high-pressure homogenizer at 150 kgf.

Spray drying conditions: The emulsion was dropped on a rotating disk, and spray drying was carried out by feeding warm air at 120 ° C. while atomizing to obtain a powdery modifier composition.

[0044]

[Table 1]

[0045]

[Table 2]

B. Examples and Comparative Examples Frozen sushi was prepared by the following procedure, and the effects of the present invention were confirmed. 1. Cooking rice formulation 1,000 parts of rice, 1,400 parts of water, and 20 parts of corn oil were blended as raw materials.

2. Preparation method of sushi ball (1) Rice cooking: Electric automatic rice cooker (RZ-2726 type, Hitachi, Ltd.) (2) Addition of spray-dried oil-in-water emulsion: Spray obtained in the above preparation examples and comparative preparation examples 1% by weight of dried product
(3) Steaming: 15 minutes (4) Seasoning liquid: A mixture of rice vinegar 8, sugar 4, and salt 1 is quickly mixed with the cooked white rice 100 while the rice is hot.
After that, the sushi ball was made by holding the rice as usual.

3. Freezing and thawing conditions (1) Storage conditions: Performed under the following two conditions: 1) -20 ° C x 1 week 2) After -10 ° C x 1 day, (5 ° C x 6 hours → -10 ° C x 1)
8 hours) x 3 times.

(2) Thawing conditions: Thawing at room temperature (20 ± 2 ° C.) Aging evaluation of rice: Two items were evaluated. (1) Appearance (presence or absence of white wax in rice grains): XX: Clear white wax was found. X: White wax was observed. ○: No white wax is observed. (2) Texture: ××: Solidified ×: Hard and polished △: Slightly hard and less sticky ○: Soft and sticky

5. Evaluation The evaluation results described above are shown in the following [Table 3] to [Table 6].

[0051]

[Table 3]

[0052]

[Table 4]

[0053]

[Table 5]

[0054]

[Table 6]

[0055]

According to the present invention, the frozen cooked rice food can effectively reduce the deterioration of the texture and the deterioration of the appearance due to the aging of the starch even under frozen storage or spontaneous thawing at room temperature or higher. Can be suppressed.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A frozen cooked rice obtained by spray-drying an oil-in-water emulsion containing (A) a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB of 8 or more, (C) an edible oil and fat, and (D) a saccharide compound. Modifier composition for use. 2. The oil-in-water emulsion further comprises (B) at least one selected from the group consisting of lecithin, glycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, polyglycerin fatty acid ester and sorbitan fatty acid ester. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The compounding ratio of the component (B) to 100 parts by weight of the component (A) is from 0 to 100 parts by weight, and the component (C) relative to a total of 100 parts by weight of the component (A) and the component (B). 3. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the component is present in an amount of 100 to 900 parts by weight. 4. The component (A), the component (B), and the component (C).
The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a blending ratio of the component (D) is 95 to 40% by weight based on a total amount of the components of 5 to 60% by weight.