JP2006000084A - Food stick, method for producing the same and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easily takable food form enabling effective utilization of an edible film and useful in the integration of a hardly handleable food such as Natto (fermented soybean with Bacillus natto) into other food as a food material or taking the food as it is, and to provide a method for easily producing the food form at a low cost and an apparatus for producing the food form. <P>SOLUTION: A chopped or rod-shaped food is wrapped with the edible film (e) in a frozen state or at a normal temperature to form a tubular food. The tubular food stick (ne) wrapped with the edible film (e) is cut to a prescribed length according to the use to obtain food sticks (ne, me). The production method and the production apparatus comprise a filling/packaging step A to cut the edible film (e) in longitudinal direction, fill the food and wrap the food with the edible film (e), a freezing step B, a cutting step C, a tray-packing step D and a pillow packaging step E. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is a food stick that is convenient for being eaten by being incorporated in other foods such as paste rolls, sandwiches, hamburgers, etc. The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus.

Edible films are often used for packaging of foods, medicines, etc., and do not need to be peeled off when eating, and are convenient because various seasonings and flavors can be added as desired.
For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-30720), natto bacteria liquid is mixed with soybeans that have been cooked, placed in a synthetic resin container, and the surface of the soybean is covered with an edible film. A method for producing natto is obtained in which a lid with a vent hole is closed, placed in a constant temperature and humidity chamber, fermented for a period of time, and then aged in a refrigerator to obtain natto. The purpose is to develop a means for producing natto that does not need to peel off the moisturizing and ventilating film at the time of eating despite maintaining the humidity and aeration necessary for fermentation.

JP-A-6-30720

  Fermented natto, on the other hand, has its sticky nature, making it difficult to handle, whether it is eaten or used as an ingredient for other foods. There are almost no examples of forms that are convenient for eating.

In view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention frequently examines forms suitable for eating foods such as fermented natto or using them as food ingredients for other foods, and is expected to be used in the future. As a result of studying effective use of edible films, the present invention has been achieved.
That is, the present invention aims at effective use of edible film, and a simple form, even when food that is difficult to handle, such as natto, is incorporated into other foods or eaten as it is, and such form An object of the present invention is to propose an apparatus that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

The present invention achieves such an object, and wraps frozen or room temperature foods with an edible film to form a stick and is incorporated into other foods as a food material or can be eaten by itself. A food stick characterized by cutting is proposed.
The food to which the present invention is applied is preferably a slurry or soft food such as garlic, green onion and cucumber cut, but is not limited thereto.
Preferably, when the food is a sticky sticky food such as natto or a soft food, the food is wrapped in an edible film and then frozen to be solidified. It becomes easy.

  Further, the present invention provides a method for producing the food stick, wherein the chopped or stick-shaped food is wrapped in an edible film to form a stick, and the stick-like food has a length suitable for incorporation into other foods, or The present invention proposes a method for producing a food stick characterized by being cut into a length suitable for eating by itself, or a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale.

  As a method of wrapping shredded or stick-shaped food with an edible film and fixing it to a stick, preferably, the edible film is attached to the food by the adhesiveness of the food, or the food contains the moisture contained in the food. There is a method of sticking, or by applying an edible paste to at least one edge of the edible film, the both edges of the edible film are bonded and fixed in a rod shape, or the edible film is thermally bonded It is possible to employ a method of manufacturing the material and bonding both edges of the edible film by heating both edges of the edible film.

  Further, the present invention provides, as the food stick manufacturing apparatus, a roller that conveys a strip-shaped edible film, a slitter that cuts the edible film in the longitudinal direction, and supplies food on each cut edible film. A packing device that wraps each edible film from both edges and wraps the filled food with an edible film, and a cylindrical food stick wrapped with the edible film is incorporated into other foods as food ingredients And a cutting device for cutting into a length suitable for eating alone, or a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, a belt-shaped edible film is cut in the longitudinal direction by a slitter while being conveyed by a conveying roller, and food is filled on each cut film by a filling device. As the filling device, for example, a hopper for feeding food and a pump for transferring the food onto the film are provided below the hopper. In the case of sticky food such as natto, a MONO pump that rotates the helical shaft to transfer the object to be transferred is suitable.

In the case of sticky foods such as natto, after forming a cylindrical food stick, before cutting it to the desired length according to the purpose, provide a freezing device, freeze and solidify, and remove sticky This facilitates subsequent cutting, packaging, and the like.
The edible film is, as described in Patent Document 1, pullulan, carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, fur celerin, tara gum, arabinogalactan, tanmarind gum, gellan gum, glucomannan, pectin, methylcellulose, alginic acid, sodium alginate Cellulose, CMC, curdlan, gelatin, casein, sodium caseinate, soybean protein, and other polysaccharides having the ability to form a film, or a mixture of two or more proteins.

The solubility in water can be adjusted by appropriately combining easily soluble and hardly soluble materials. If desired, food raw materials such as sweeteners, seasonings, spices, fragrances, pigments, and flavors can also be added.
If an edible film that is easily soluble in water is used, it is more advantageous when the edible film is dissolved in contact with water when incorporated in other foods.

Preferably, a device for adhering both edges of an edible film that wraps food is provided on the downstream side of the packaging device. As the bonding means, for example, an edible and harmless paste such as starch is used, or in the case of an edible film that is bonded by heating, a heater for heating is attached. Depending on the food to be filled, such as natto, even if there is no adhesive device, the food and the edible film are bonded to each other by the adhesive action of the food itself, so that no adhesive device is required. .
Further, preferably, by providing an apparatus for packaging the cut cylindrical food stick, it can be shipped as a product.

  The edible film can be produced by, for example, casting an aqueous solution or dispersion containing an appropriate film substrate and optionally additives such as a water resistance agent, a plasticizer, a seasoning, and a flavoring agent on a substrate, followed by drying. Manufactured. As the substrate, a flat plate or drum such as stainless steel or fluororesin is used, but when the edible film is thin and its mechanical strength is insufficient, a hydrophobic strong support film such as polyethylene terephthalate It is preferable to wind up together with the support film after casting and drying.

  According to the food stick of the present invention, a frozen or room temperature, shredded or stick-shaped food is wrapped in an edible film to form a stick, and a cylindrical food stick wrapped in an edible film is replaced with another food stick. Incorporated into other foods by cutting to a length suitable for incorporation into foods, a length suitable for eating alone, or a length suitable for storage, transport or sale However, it is very easy to handle whether you eat it alone or store, transport, or sell it. For example, by inserting sticks such as natto, green onions, and cucumbers into the seaweed roll, you can easily make seaweed sushi at your home dining table.

Moreover, even if it eats only a food stick, handling is convenient, it is delicious, and it is suitable even if it eats as a snack etc. of alcohol.
In addition, preferably, when the food is a sticky sticky food such as natto or a soft food, the sticky food can be effectively removed by wrapping the food in an edible film and then freezing. , A solidified state, which makes handling easier.

  Further, according to the method for producing the food stick of the present invention, a chopped or stick-shaped food is wrapped in an edible film to form a stick, and the length suitable for incorporating the stick-like food into other foods as a food, Alternatively, the food stick can be efficiently mass-produced by cutting it into a length suitable for eating alone, or a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale, and for the various uses described above. It can be shipped in a suitable shape.

  Moreover, according to the food stick manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, a roller that conveys a belt-shaped edible film, a slitter that cuts the edible film in the longitudinal direction, and a food product is supplied onto each cut edible film. To incorporate a filling device, a packaging device that wraps each edible film from both edges and wraps the filled food with an edible film, and a cylindrical food stick wrapped with an edible film as an ingredient in other foods Efficiently mass-produces edible film by providing a cutting device that cuts to a suitable length, a length suitable for eating alone, or a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale Can do.

Further, preferably, in the case of foods that are difficult to handle, such as natto, a device for freezing the food stick is provided on the downstream side of the packaging device, and the handling can be facilitated by freezing.
Preferably, a device for adhering both edges of the edible film that wraps food is provided on the downstream side of the packaging device, so that the edible film can be used even in the case of food that does not have an adhesive action on the edible film. Both edges can be securely bonded.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to specific examples unless otherwise specified. Only.
FIG. 1 is a process diagram of a manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the manufacture of a natto stick, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are elevations of the apparatus for performing the filling / packaging process in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the edible film winding roller of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view showing the forming roller of FIG.

In FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus includes a filling / packaging process A, a freezing process B, a cutting process C, a tray packing process D, and a packaging process E in order from the upstream side. FIG. 2 shows a portion of the filling / packaging process A. First, the filling / packaging process A of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The already fermented sticky natto n is fed into the hopper 1 and supplied to the filling nozzle 3 from the lower part of the hopper 1 by the MONO pump 2 which rotates the helical shaft to transfer the object to be transferred. The edible film e conveyed on the conveyance belt 4 is filled.

  The conveyor belt 4 includes a negative pressure box 5 therein, and conveys the edible film e to the downstream side while adsorbing the edible film e through a suction hole (not shown) communicating with the negative pressure box 5. Reference numeral 6 denotes a roller around which an edible film e with a mount is wound. The edible film e is separated from the mount s by an auto splicer 7, and a plurality of support rollers 8 and slitters 9 forming a conveyance path are provided. Then, it is supplied to the conveyor belt 4.

  The mount s is taken up by the take-up roller 10. 6 a is a spare winding roller, and when the edible film e of the winding roller 6 runs out, it is automatically switched by the auto splicer 7 to supply the edible film to the conveying belt 4. Reference numeral 10a denotes a preliminary take-up roller that takes up the mount of the edible film when switched to the take-up roller 6a.

The slitter 9 has a number of blades projecting from the outer periphery of the roller cylinder in a number set at equal intervals in the cylinder axis direction, and cuts the edible film e being conveyed at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. 11 is a film winding device provided on the downstream side of the filling nozzle 3, and 12 is a molding device provided further on the downstream side. Details of these devices are shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 3, natto n is dropped from the filling nozzle 3 onto each cut piece on the downstream side of the cut piece of the edible film e cut in the width direction by the slitter 9. Reference numeral 13 denotes a base that supports the apparatus of the filling / packaging process A.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of film winding rollers 11 a constituting the film winding device 11 is further shifted on the downstream side in the transport direction of the edible film e, and the pair of films The winding roller 11a bends both edges of each edible film piece e upward to guide the natto n so as to be wrapped. In addition, 14 is a guide part which divides the bending position of the both edges of the edible film e.
That is, first, one edge of the edible film e is bent slightly by the film winding roller 11a arranged slightly forward, and then the other edge is bent by the film winding roller 11a arranged behind the film winding roller 11a. Overlapping.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of forming rollers 12a constituting the forming device 12 is further arranged on the downstream side, and the peripheral surface of the forming roller 12a is curved and recessed at the center. The natto n that has reached the forming roller 12a in the form of a plurality of elongated cylinders in which the natto n is wrapped with the edible film e by the film winding roller 11a arranged on the upstream side passes between the pair of forming rollers 12a. As a result, the cross section is formed into a substantially circular shape, and is pressed against the natto n side with both edges of the edible film e overlapped, and bonded to the natto n by the stickiness of the natto n.
Both the film winding roller 11a and the forming roller 12a are coated with a resin having a low coefficient of friction such as nylon resin or fluorine resin to prevent the edible film e from slipping.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the natto n formed into a plurality of elongated cylindrical shapes is then conveyed to the freezer 21 constituting the freezing process B by the belt conveyor 22. As the freezer 21 used in the refrigeration step B, for example, a collision jet type freezer using a steel belt disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-130901 can be used.

  The collision jet freezer will be described with reference to FIG. This freezer carries a tunnel-type outer structure 23 made of a heat insulating member, and a tray 25 that passes through the structure in the vertical direction in the direction of the arrow G and stores an object to be frozen 24 from the inlet 23a side. A steel belt 22 that is carried out in a frozen state together with the tray from the side 23b, and a high speed at a low temperature of about −40 ° C. across the entire belt lower surface opposite to the placing surface on the upper side of the steel belt. It comprises a plurality of collision jet cooling sections 26 that blow the collision jets 27a and 27b vertically.

  Reference numeral 28a denotes an upper frozen airflow blowing portion, and 28b denotes a lower frozen airflow blowing portion, and a belt cleaning device 29 is provided on the reverse traveling path on the lower side of the inlet 23a of the steel belt 22 so that an object to be frozen is always placed on the clean steel belt 22. The fishery processed foods are placed and can be frozen in a sanitary environment. According to this freezer, quick freezing that makes the ice crystals generated during freezing fine is possible.

  Alternatively, a freezer system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-1666495 can also be used. In this freezer system, a reciprocating circulation conveyor is provided in a freezer having a large number of cold air jet nozzles, and the object to be frozen is placed on the conveyor, and the object to be frozen is frozen on the conveyor. .

Referring again to FIG. 1, the natto n that has been frozen in the freezing process B and formed into a plurality of elongated cylindrical shapes is then transported to the cutting process C, and depending on the purpose by the guillotine cutter 31 a of the cutter machine 31. The natto stick ne is cut to a desired length. In the case of the first embodiment, it is cut to a length suitable for packaging for shipment.
The desired number of natto sticks ne is packed in a tray 41 and packaged in a pillow package 51.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, natto sticks that are extremely easy to handle can be efficiently mass-produced, whether they are incorporated into other foods, eaten alone, or stored, transported or sold. It becomes possible. By inserting this natto stick into a paste roll, it is possible to easily make a natto roll at a household table.

Moreover, after making a natto stick, it freezes with the freezer 21, and after that, cutting, packaging, etc. are implemented, a sticky stick can be removed effectively and it will be in a solidified state, and handling will become still easier by this.
In addition, according to the first embodiment, the edible film e can be attached to the natto using the natto stickiness before the freezing process, so both sides of the edible film are wrapped with the edible film e. The manufacturing apparatus can be simplified by that amount.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows a vertical pillow packaging machine constituting the cutting step C 'of the second embodiment. Reference numeral 32 denotes a holding plate arranged substantially vertically. The holding plate 32 supports, for example, a leek and litter stick me wrapped in edible film with an edible film, and is cut by a seal cutter 33 by a desired length. The sealing cutter 33 cuts the onion and stick stick me and can seal both sides of the cutting part, both ends are sealed with an edible film, and a leek and stick stick me wrapped in a bag shape with an edible film is made. Can do.

  According to the present invention, it is convenient to easily incorporate into other foods as a food, or it can be eaten alone, and a delicious food stick, and a production that can efficiently mass-produce the food stick A method and a manufacturing apparatus can be provided. For example, when making natto sticks, natto is wrapped in an edible film, transported to a freezer, frozen, solidified, removed from stickiness, and used for eating, cooking, storage, transportation, or sales. According to the desired length, it is very easy to handle and realizes the production of a convenient food stick.

FIG. 1 is a process diagram of a manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to manufacture of a natto stick. It is an elevational view of an apparatus for performing the filling / packaging process in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view of the apparatus which implements the filling and packaging process in the said 1st Example. It is a partially expanded view which shows the winding roller 11a of the edible film of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view showing the forming roller 12a of FIG. 3. It is a vertical elevation view which shows the freezer which can be used for the freezing process B of the said 1st Example. It is an elevation view showing a cutting process C 'according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Filling / Packaging Process B Freezing Process C Cutting Process D Tray Packing Process E Packaging Process 1 Hopper 2 Mono Pump 3 Filling Nozzle 4 Conveying Belt 5 Negative Pressure Box 6, 6a Take-up Roller 7 Auto Splicer 8 Support Roller 9 Slitter 10, 10a Mount winding roller 11 Film winding device 11a Film winding roller 12 Forming device 12a Forming roller 13 Base 14 Guide portion 21 Freezer 22 Steel belt 23 Tunnel type outer structure 24 Freezing object 26 Collision jet cooling portions 27a and 27b Collision jet 28a Upper frozen airflow blowing portion 28b Lower frozen airflow blowing portion 31 Cutter machine 31a Guillotine cutter 32 Holding plate 33 Seal cutter 41 Tray 51 Pillow packaging e Edible film me Negoro stick n Natto ne Natto stick s Mount

Claims (12)

  Frozen or at room temperature, suitable for incorporating shredded or stick-shaped foods in edible films to make sticks, and incorporating cylindrical food sticks wrapped in edible films as food ingredients A food stick characterized by being cut to length, a length suitable for eating alone, or a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale.   2. The food stick according to claim 1, wherein the food is a sticky or soft food, and the food is wrapped in an edible film and then frozen.   The food stick according to claim 2, wherein the food is natto.   A length suitable for chopping or stick-shaped foods wrapped in an edible film into a stick and incorporating the stick-like food into other foods as an ingredient, or suitable for eating alone A method for producing a food stick, characterized by cutting into a length suitable for storage, transportation or sale.   When wrapping the food product with the edible film into a stick shape, the edible film is attached to the food product due to the adhesiveness of the food product, and attached to the food product with moisture contained in the food product, and an edible paste is provided. Adhering both edges of the edible film by applying to at least one edge of the edible film, or adhering both edges of the edible film by heating both edges of the edible film The method for producing a food stick according to claim 4, characterized in that:   6. The method for producing a food stick according to claim 5, wherein the food is sticky and soft food or soft food, and is frozen before the cutting step.   The method for producing a food stick according to claim 6, wherein the food is natto.   A roller that conveys a strip of edible film, a slitter that cuts the edible film in the longitudinal direction, a filling device that supplies food on each cut edible film, and both edible films A packaging device that wraps food that is rolled up and packed with edible film, and a cylindrical food stick wrapped with edible film can be eaten in a length suitable for incorporation into other foods, or it can be eaten alone A food stick manufacturing apparatus comprising: a cutting device that cuts a length suitable for storage, or a length suitable for storage, transportation, or sale.   9. The apparatus for producing food sticks according to claim 8, wherein a device for freezing the food sticks is provided downstream of the packaging device.   The food stick manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the packaging device includes a device for adhering both edges of the edible film that wraps the food.   The bonding device is a device for bonding both edges of the edible film by applying an edible paste to at least one edge of the edible film, or by heating both edges of the edible film. The apparatus for producing a food stick according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus is an apparatus for adhering both edges of an edible film.   9. The apparatus for producing a food stick according to claim 8, further comprising a device for packaging the cut cylindrical food stick.

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