JP2009261361A - Thick liquid food containing vegetable protein - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thick liquid food having high fluidity in spite of containing vegetable protein as a protein source, excellent in handling properties such as tap and tube liquidity, and suppressed in cohesion of vegetable protein even in a heat sterilization process such as retort sterilization and long term preservation. <P>SOLUTION: This thick liquid food containing vegetable protein contains high branch annular dextrin, and microcrystalline cellulose. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a concentrated liquid food. Specifically, it contains plant protein as a protein source, but has high fluidity, excellent handling such as drinking mouth and tube fluidity, and further, even under heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage. The present invention relates to a concentrated liquid food in which aggregation is suppressed.

  A rich liquid diet contains various nutrients necessary for the body (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, water, etc.) in a well-balanced manner, and patients who are difficult to chew and swallow foods are bedridden. It is widely used as a nutritional food to replenish the nutrients necessary for elderly people such as the elderly and patients before and after surgery. Proteins that are one of the above nutrients include animal protein such as sodium caseinate, whey protein, skim milk powder, whole milk protein and their degradation products, soy protein, skim soy milk powder, carob bean gum protein, pea protein and these Plant proteins such as degradation products of dairy products are mentioned, but the use of plant proteins has been studied in view of the recent rise in milk raw materials, an increase in patients with milk allergies, and the effect of plant proteins in reducing blood cholesterol. However, vegetable proteins are more susceptible to the coexisting composition than milk proteins. When vegetable proteins are used in concentrated liquid foods containing a large amount of various minerals and vitamins, The viscosity increased remarkably, making it difficult to drink when used as a beverage, and causing tube fluidity to drop and poor handling when a concentrated liquid food was administered by tube to a target patient. Furthermore, when a concentrated liquid food containing such vegetable protein is subjected to heat sterilization such as retort sterilization or under long-term storage, the protein aggregates and the texture and mouth feel are rough. The protein agglomerates adhere to the surface, clogging occurs, and the use thereof is poor, and there has been a demand for a vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food that has high fluidity and prevents protein aggregation.

  On the other hand, as a technique using highly branched cyclic dextrin, which is a starch degradation product having a cyclic structure in the molecule, it is possible to produce foods and drinks that can quickly ingest energy without burdening the digestive tract such as the stomach (patents) Document 1), can be used in sports drinks containing high concentrations of carbohydrates and appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals (Patent Document 2), can reduce the viscosity of starch and / or thickening polysaccharide solutions (Patent Document 3), protein It is disclosed that yoghurt-like foods and beverages that are difficult to agglomerate and separate can be provided (Patent Document 4), and that powdered fats and oils prepared using highly branched cyclic dextrin can be added to a natural liquid food (Patent Document 5). Similarly, Patent Document 6 discloses a technique for adding crystalline cellulose to a concentrated liquid food.

JP 2000-83621 A JP 2003-169642 A JP 09-272702 A JP 2003-289800 A JP 2003-49189 A JP 2003-289830 A

  Concentrated liquid food prepared using vegetable protein as a protein source behaves differently from the use of milk proteins such as sodium caseinate and whey protein, and protein under heat sterilization such as retort sterilization and long-term storage The agglomerates become a rough mouth, the tube used at the time of tube administration is clogged, and the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food increases, making it unsuitable as a beverage. In this respect, Patent Documents 1 to 4 do not describe any concentrated liquid food containing plant protein as a protein source, and the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 also have low osmotic pressure of cluster dextrin. It is a highly nutritious food designed to avoid excessive or shortage of nutrients, and is different from a concentrated liquid food that is not intended for rapid absorption in the body. To do. Similarly, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 5 is also a technique for improving the fluidity and dispersibility in water of powdered oils and fats, and completely discloses the fluidity and aggregation of a concentrated liquid food containing vegetable protein. It has not been. Furthermore, even when highly branched cyclic dextrin is used, vegetable protein aggregates in a concentrated liquid food containing a complex of carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, moisture, etc., and it still becomes a rough mouth. The tube used at the time of tube administration had problems such as clogging.

  Similarly, Patent Document 6 discloses a technique for preventing aggregation using crystalline cellulose, thickening polysaccharides, and the like and facilitating redispersion of precipitates, but even when crystalline cellulose is used. When vegetable protein is used as a protein source, the viscosity of concentrated liquid foods increases, making it difficult to drink when used as a beverage, and tube fluidity is poor when used as a tube. There has been a demand for a concentrated liquid food that is excellent in high fluidity and stability of vegetable protein while using a protein.

  In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention excels in handling such as drinking mouth and tube fluidity, even when plant protein is used as a protein source, and further, heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage An object of the present invention is to provide a concentrated liquid food in which aggregation of plant proteins is suppressed even underneath.

  The present inventor has conducted extensive research in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and by containing highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose in a concentrated liquid food containing vegetable protein, the mouthpiece and tube The present invention has been completed by discovering that it can provide a concentrated liquid food that is excellent in handling such as fluidity, and can further suppress aggregation of plant proteins even under heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage.

The present invention relates to a vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food having the following aspects;
Item 1. A concentrated liquid food containing vegetable protein, characterized by containing highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose.
Item 2. Item 2. The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food according to Item 1, comprising 0.01 to 100 parts by mass of microcrystalline cellulose with respect to 100 parts by mass of highly branched cyclic dextrin.
Item 3. Item 3. The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the vegetable protein content is 2% by mass or more.
Item 4. Item 4. The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the vegetable protein is soybean protein.

  According to the present invention, even when a vegetable protein is contained in a concentrated liquid food containing a complex of carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, water, etc., the mouthpiece and tube flow without increasing the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food Furthermore, it is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food in which aggregation of plant proteins is suppressed even during heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage. Thereby, it is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food that is excellent in fluidity and stability of vegetable protein and that can be ingested even by milk allergic patients while containing vegetable protein excellent in nutrition and functionality.

  The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food of the present invention is characterized by containing highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose.

  The highly branched cyclic dextrin used in the present invention is a starch degradation product having a cyclic structure in the molecule, and is a glucan chain transferase widely distributed in animals, plants and microorganisms, and α-1 of starch and glycogen in vivo. , 6-glucoside bond (branched bond) is a dextrin obtained by processing starch with an enzyme called a branching enzyme. Since the branching enzyme acts on the seam of the cluster structure of amylopectin and decomposes while performing cyclization, the highly branched cyclic dextrin has a structure that almost retains the cluster structure that is the basic structural unit of starch. Such highly branched cyclic dextrins can be produced using the methods disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos. 3150266 and 3107358. Specifically, it has a glucan having one cyclic structure composed of at least 14 α-1,4-glucoside bonds in the molecule and / or an inner branched cyclic structure portion and an outer branched cyclic structure portion, and is polymerized. The degree is 50 or more. The highly branched cyclic dextrin used in the present invention is commercially available, and examples thereof include cluster dextrin manufactured by Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.

  The amount of highly branched cyclic dextrin added to the vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the formulation of the concentrated liquid food to be added and the required fluidity. 0.1-25 mass% with respect to a liquid food, Preferably it is 0.5-20 mass%, More preferably, 1-15 mass% can be illustrated.

  The microcrystalline cellulose used in combination with the highly branched cyclic dextrin in the present invention is obtained by purifying a cellulose crystal region by hydrolysis using pulp as a raw material, and has an average particle size of 40 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or less. Preferred is crystalline cellulose of 10 μm or less. A composition containing 100% by mass of microcrystalline cellulose may be used as a composition containing microcrystalline cellulose, but thickening polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, caraya gum, carrageenan, guar gum, and CMC-Na are added as binders. And it is preferable to use what was formulated by grinding with a mechanical share and drying if necessary. When microcrystalline cellulose is blended in an amount of 5 to 100% by mass with respect to the composition and formulated into a formulation, the remainder is formulated using a binder. The composition (microcrystalline cellulose preparation) containing microcrystalline cellulose used in the present invention can be obtained commercially, for example, “Homogen [trademark] No. 2210 manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd. Or the like.

  The amount of microcrystalline cellulose added to the vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food is 0.01 to 5% by mass, preferably 0.05 to 2% by mass, more preferably 0, based on the concentrated liquid food. .1 to 1% by mass can be exemplified.

  In the present invention, by using the above highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose in combination, even when vegetable protein is contained in a concentrated liquid food containing carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, water, etc. Concentrated liquid food that has excellent fluidity such as drinking mouth and tube fluidity without increasing the viscosity of liquid food, and further suppresses aggregation of vegetable proteins even during heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage It became possible to provide. Thus, in the present invention, it is characterized by using a highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose in combination, but as a combined ratio of the highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose, The microcrystalline cellulose is preferably used in combination so that the amount is 0.01 to 100 parts by mass, preferably 0.1 to 20 parts by mass. On the other hand, when a highly branched cyclic dextrin is used alone, the vegetable protein aggregates and becomes a rough texture under heat sterilization such as retort sterilization and long-term storage. When microcrystalline cellulose is used alone, the vegetable protein Concentrated liquid foods containing sucrose have high viscosities and are difficult to drink as beverages, and the tube fluidity when administered by tube is low, resulting in lack of handling convenience.

  The concentrated liquid food targeted by the present invention is characterized by containing vegetable protein as a protein source. It is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food that can be ingested even by patients having allergies derived from milk by using plant proteins, and to provide a highly functional concentrated liquid food such as an effect of reducing blood cholesterol it can. Examples of the vegetable protein that can be used include vegetable proteins such as soybeans, peas, and carob bean gum, and degradation products thereof, preferably soybean proteins. Traditionally, protein sources used in concentrated liquid foods include sodium caseinate, whey protein, skim milk powder, whole milk, because the viscosity of concentrated liquid foods is less likely to be high and the protein is more stable than vegetable proteins. Milk protein such as milk protein is used, while vegetable protein tends to interact with complex substances such as carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, and vitamins in concentrated liquid food, and the viscosity of the protein is significantly increased. Was a frequent occurrence and had problems such as poor usability. However, by using the highly branched cyclic dextrin and the microcrystalline cellulose according to the present invention in combination, it is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food containing the above vegetable protein having excellent fluidity and stability.

  In particular, as the vegetable protein content in the concentrated liquid food increases to 2% by mass or more, the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food itself increases, and the aggregates of the vegetable protein give roughness to the concentrated liquid food. The problem of causing clogging in the tube occurs remarkably, but by adopting the configuration of the present invention, even if it is a concentrated liquid food containing a high amount of the above-mentioned vegetable protein, the fluidity and the vegetable property It became possible to provide a concentrated liquid food with excellent protein stability.

  The concentrated liquid food targeted by the present invention has a caloric value of 1 kcal / mL or more, and the nutritional component is a food containing protein, lipid, carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin and the like. Hereinafter, each component which comprises a rich liquid food is explained in full detail.

Protein In the present invention, vegetable protein is used. However, various proteins conventionally used in foods can be used in combination as long as they do not affect the present invention. Specific examples include skim milk powder, casein, whey protein, whole milk protein and wheat protein, and salt decomposition products of the above protein.

Lipids The concentrated liquid food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a lipid generally used for food, and various lipids can be used. Specifically, vegetable oil such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, corn oil, rice oil, coconut oil, perilla oil, sesame oil and linseed oil, fish oil such as sardine oil and cod liver oil, and long chain as an essential fatty acid source Fatty acid triglycerides (LCT), medium chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCT) and the like can be mentioned, and medium chain fatty acid triglycerides (MCT) usually having 8 to 10 carbon atoms are preferable. The lipid content in the concentrated liquid food can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the nutrients required, and specific examples include 0.5 to 25% by mass. Here, when the lipid content in the concentrated liquid food is as high as 30% by mass or more, the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food itself tends to increase, which is not suitable for drinking as a beverage, and the tube fluidity is poor at the time of tube administration. However, by using the highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose according to the present invention in combination, even if it is a concentrated liquid food with a high fat content, it has good fluidity and can be used as a beverage. Can also provide a suitable concentrated liquid food.

Carbohydrates In the concentrated liquid food of the present invention, those generally used for food can be used. For example, starch, dietary fiber, monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, various normal sugars such as disaccharides such as maltose and sucrose, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol, glycerin, erythritol, dextrin, cyclodextrin, etc. Examples include polysaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, oligosaccharides such as lactosucrose. The content of the carbohydrate in the concentrated liquid food can be appropriately adjusted depending on the required nutrients, and is specifically 0.5 to 30% by mass, preferably 1 to 20% by mass. Among them, various dextrins are often used as a carbohydrate source for the purpose of giving calories, but when using conventional dextrins, adding vegetable protein to the concentrated liquid food increases the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food, In addition, the aggregation of plant proteins has been a problem. In this regard, the concentrated liquid food of the present invention is characterized by containing highly branched dextrins, but is preferably contained as a carbohydrate source. Thereby, it is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food with good fluidity and stability. Although highly branched cyclic dextrins can be used as a carbohydrate source, as long as they do not affect the present invention, other dextrins, starches, dietary fibers, saccharides, polysaccharides, sugar alcohols, oligosaccharides and the like as carbohydrate sources It can also be used as a carbohydrate source.

Minerals and vitamins In the concentrated liquid food of the present invention, those generally used for food can be used. For example, if it is a mineral, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc. can be added in the form of a salt that is handled as a food additive. If it is a vitamin, vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, K, niacin, nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, folic acid, etc. can be used, for example. The amount of minerals and vitamins in the concentrated liquid food can be appropriately set according to the recommended amount, guide amount, target amount or upper limit amount described in “Japanese dietary intake standards [2005 version]”.

  In concentrated liquid foods, minerals and vitamins have a greater effect on the stability of vegetable proteins than the above-mentioned lipids and carbohydrates. Concentrated liquid foods containing minerals and vitamins rapidly increase the viscosity of concentrated liquid foods. It has been extremely difficult to provide a concentrated liquid food with high stability, such as the formation of aggregates of sex proteins. Furthermore, since concentrated liquid foods contain the above-mentioned lipids and carbohydrates in addition to minerals and vitamins, it has been more difficult to stabilize vegetable proteins. However, by adopting the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food that exhibits good fluidity even in a concentrated liquid food containing minerals and vitamins, and in which aggregation of vegetable proteins is remarkably prevented. became.

  As mentioned above, concentrated liquid foods may behave differently from normal beverages and foods containing vegetable proteins in that they contain a complex of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Stabilization of vegetable protein in concentrated liquid foods, such as markedly reduced protein stability, was very difficult, but by using a combination of highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose, Even if vegetable protein is contained in the liquid food, it shows good fluidity without increasing the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food, and further, the aggregation of vegetable protein even during heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage It has become possible to provide a concentrated liquid food with reduced stagnation.

  In the present invention, good fluidity means that when a concentrated liquid food is applied as a beverage, it is easy to drink, and the tube fluidity when administered by tube shows a good viscosity, for example, 0.01 to 200 mPa · s, preferably Preferably has a viscosity of 0.01 to 100 mPa · s.

  The concentrated liquid food of the present invention can be produced, for example, according to the following production method. Contains the above protein, lipid, carbohydrate, mineral and vitamin in water, dissolves with heating and stirring, and then homogenizes as necessary. After filling the container, retort sterilization (at 110 to 130 ° C. for 10 to 30 minutes) It is prepared by performing heat sterilization such as UHT sterilization (95 to 140 ° C. for 15 to 120 seconds). Conventionally, in such heat sterilization processes, particularly retort sterilization processes, it has been a problem that plant proteins aggregate, but by using a highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose in combination, plants can be used even under severe heating conditions. It has become possible to provide a concentrated liquid food in which aggregation of sex protein is remarkably suppressed. Similarly, a concentrated liquid food often takes a storage form that is stored at room temperature for a long period of time due to its nature, but even under such storage conditions, a concentrated fluid food can be obtained by using a highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose in combination. It became possible to remarkably suppress the aggregation of vegetable protein in food.

  Hereinafter, the content of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the following examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Unless otherwise specified, “parts” means “parts by mass” and “%” means “% by mass”. Those marked with “*” in the text indicate that they are registered trademarks of Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd., and “*” in the text indicates that they are registered trademarks of Saneigen FFI Corporation.

Experimental Example 1 Preparation of Concentrated Liquid Food A vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food was prepared according to the formulations in Tables 1 and 2. Specifically, various dextrins, maltooligosaccharides, soy protein, microcrystalline cellulose, medium chain fatty acid triglycerides, granulated sugar, vitamins, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium chloride, trisodium citrate, potassium gluconate and emulsion stabilizers in water After heating and dissolving at 80 ° C. for 10 minutes, the total amount was adjusted to 100% with water. Next, homogenization was performed under pressure conditions of the first stage of 15 MPa and the second stage of 5 MPa. After filling the container, retort sterilization was performed at 121 ° C. for 10 minutes to prepare a concentrated liquid food containing vegetable protein (Example 1). -2 and Comparative Examples 1-3). On the other hand, milk protein-containing concentrated liquid foods were prepared in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2 except that milk protein (casein sodium) was used instead of soy protein as a protein source (Comparative Examples 4 to 7).

Note 1) Use of “cluster dextrin” manufactured by Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. Note 2) Use of low viscosity dextrin “TK-16” manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Co., Ltd. Note 3) Use of maltooligosaccharide “Pine Oligo 20” manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Co., Ltd. Note 4 ) Made by Asahi Kasei Chemicals Co., Ltd., using “Theorus SC-900S” Note 5) Made by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd. Using 1.5% iron-containing preparation “Mineral Yeast Fe” Note 6) Made by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., 5.0% zinc Contained preparation "Mineral yeast Zn" Note 7) Made by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., 0.3% copper containing preparation "Mineral yeast Cu" Note 8) Made by Nisshin Oilio Co., Ltd. "Score 64G" Note 9) Vitamin B group + Vitamin A, B, C, D (11 types in total) mixed preparation “V-mix RD-05 *” used Note 10) “Homogen * 897 *” used

  Each prepared concentrated liquid food (Examples 1-2, Comparative Examples 1-7) was evaluated for fluidity and protein aggregation. The fluidity is a value obtained by measuring for 1 minute at a rotation speed of 12 rpm using a BL type rotational viscometer (rotor No. 2) under the condition of 20 ° C. The aggregation property of the protein was evaluated in five stages of +++> ++> +> ±> − in the order of aggregation of the protein and the largest roughness. The results are shown in Table 2.

  From Table 2, by using a highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose as dextrin, the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food does not increase even though it contains soy protein (about 80 to 130 mPa · s). A rich liquid food with excellent fluidity and excellent drinking fluid and tube fluidity during eating was obtained (Examples 1 and 2). Furthermore, the concentrated liquid food of Examples 1 and 2 is a concentrated liquid food that is excellent in the stability of soy protein without aggregation of the soy protein in spite of severe sterilization conditions such as retort sterilization at 121 ° C. for 10 minutes. there were. On the other hand, when highly branched cyclic dextrin was used without using microcrystalline cellulose in combination, soy protein aggregated and became a concentrated liquid food with a rough texture when the prepared concentrated liquid food was drunk (Comparative Example 3). Similarly, when microcrystalline cellulose is used in combination with other dextrins without being used in combination with highly branched dextrins, low-viscosity foods containing concentrated dextrin and milk proteins that are used as low-viscosity dextrins have low viscosity. Despite the use of the maltooligosaccharides shown, the viscosity of the concentrated liquid food increased, and aggregation of soy protein could not be prevented (Comparative Examples 1 and 2). On the other hand, in the concentrated liquid food (Comparative Examples 6 and 7) prepared using milk protein instead of soy protein as a comparison, low viscosity dextrin and maltooligosaccharide showed good fluidity (71 and 64 mPa · s), and high When the branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose were added to the milk protein-containing concentrated liquid food, an increase in viscosity was seen compared to the concentrated liquid foods of Comparative Examples 6 and 7 (Comparative Examples 4 and 5). Further, even when protein aggregation is not observed in a concentrated liquid food containing milk protein, the soy protein aggregation and viscosity increase are significantly observed when soy protein is used. In the case of (vegetable protein), even in the same protein, the behavior and physical properties in the concentrated liquid food are completely different, and the present invention has an extremely remarkable effect on the concentrated liquid food containing the vegetable protein. It is what you play.

  It contains plant protein as a protein source, has high fluidity, is excellent in handling such as drinking mouth and tube fluidity, and also suppresses aggregation of plant protein even during heat sterilization processes such as retort sterilization and long-term storage. It is possible to provide a concentrated liquid food that can be ingested even by patients who have allergies derived from milk, and can stably provide a high concentration liquid food.

Claims (4)

A concentrated liquid food containing vegetable protein, characterized by containing highly branched cyclic dextrin and microcrystalline cellulose. The vegetable protein containing concentrated liquid food of Claim 1 which contains 0.01-100 mass parts of microcrystalline cellulose with respect to 100 mass parts of highly branched cyclic dextrin. The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vegetable protein content is 2% by mass or more. The vegetable protein-containing concentrated liquid food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vegetable protein is soybean protein.