JP2012157370A - Gelling agent for person having difficulty in mastication and/or swallowing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gelling agent which is favorably dispersed or dissolved in a liquid food at 50-60°C which is relatively low temperature as a temperature for dissolving the gelling agent to gelatinize the liquid food, keeps a good shape retention without dissolving the gelled food even when reheated, is highly versatile so that addition of the gelling agent makes the gelled food become suitable for being taken by persons having difficulty in mastication and/or swallowing even when being added to fruit juice, milk, or liquid food richly containing minerals and/or fat content such as miso soup (soup), a concentrated fluid food or milk, and disperses without forming lumps even under a mild agitating condition such as hand agitation so as to be excellent in handling property.SOLUTION: The gelling agent includes easily dissolvable agar and guar gum having a weight-average molecular weight of 1.5×10g/mol or more, includes the guar gum at 60-700 mass% based on the amount of easily dissolvable agar, and further includes xanthan gum and/or native-type gellan gum.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gelling agent for preparing a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. Specifically, it is a case where the liquid food can be well dispersed and dissolved in a relatively low temperature liquid food composition (liquid food) such as 50 to 60 ° C. to gel the liquid food, and reheated. The present invention also relates to a gelling agent capable of maintaining good shape retention without dissolving the gel food. Liquid foods include not only water and tea but also liquid foods with high contents of minerals, fats, and proteins, such as fruit juice, miso soup, milk, and concentrated liquid foods. The present invention relates to a gelling agent that can be dispersed well without being damped even under stirring conditions and can provide a gel-like food suitable for chewing / swallowing.

  In recent years, with the increase in the number of elderly people, there is a tendency for so-called mastication and swallowing difficult persons who have a disorder in a series of actions of chewing and swallowing food. Various gelling agents have been developed for those who have difficulty chewing and swallowing. In recent years, from the aspect of taste (less impact on taste and appearance) and functionality (activate with a small amount added), A gelling agent based on thickening polysaccharides is preferably used. As food suitable for mastication and dysphagia, it has 1) moderate hardness, 2) excellent bolus formation (easiness to collect food in the mouth), and 3) adherence to the oral cavity and pharynx. 4) High water retention (low water separation), etc., and various studies are being made on the development of gelling agents to give foods that satisfy these texture conditions or to impart properties to existing foods. Has been.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gel composition containing a gelling agent and a thickening agent, wherein the gel composition is prepared by mixing and cooling a separately heated solution. Are listed. Further, agar, carrageenan, farsellan, gellan gum, gelatin and the like are disclosed as gelling agents, and guar gum, xanthan gum, native gellan gum and the like are disclosed as thickeners. In Patent Document 2, a thickener (A) selected from xanthan gum, guar gum, alginate, carboxyl methylcellulose salt and pregelatinized starch and agar, carrageenan, locust bean gum, gelatin, pectin and curdlan were selected. An edible thickening / gelling composition containing a gelling agent (B) is described. Similarly, Patent Document 3 discloses a food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing containing one or more kinds of pastes such as agar and guar gum and kuzu starch, and Patent Document 4 discloses a paste used for swallowing auxiliary drinks. Pastes such as agar and guar gum are disclosed.

  On the other hand, Patent Documents 5 and 6 disclose instant jelly mix and jelly for persons with difficulty in swallowing as compositions using easily soluble agar whose dissolution temperature is lower than that of normal agar. Does not describe any use of guar gum having a specific blending amount and specific molecular characteristics for easily soluble agar.

  As described above, agar has been conventionally used as a gelling agent for the purpose of preparing a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. However, when preparing gelatinous foods using agar, heating at a high temperature of 90 ° C or higher is usually required to dissolve the agar into liquid foods. Furthermore, mechanical mixing with a propeller stirrer or the like is required. Need. However, gelling agents for preparing gel foods for those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing may be used by patients and their nurses at the bedside or in the home kitchen depending on the degree of disability and the patient's physical condition. is there. Agar is not always versatile because it is required to dissolve well even under relatively low temperature conditions such as hot water in a pot, and even under gentle stirring conditions such as hand stirring. Furthermore, agar forms a gel with a brittle texture, and once crushed gel is difficult to reattach, on the other hand, if it is used at a low concentration in order to reduce brittleness, there is a problem that water separation increases. For example, it is difficult to give physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing alone.

  In addition, when easily soluble agar is used as agar, solubility can be improved compared to normal agar, but the texture and water release are almost unchanged, and it alone provides physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing It ’s difficult. The texture and water separation can be improved to some extent by using, for example, locust bean gum or gelatin together with easily soluble agar. However, when locust bean gum is used in combination, heating at a high temperature of 80 to 90 ° C. or more is necessary to dissolve locust bean gum, and when gelatin is used together, the gel is reheated. There is a problem that the texture and mechanical properties of the food are greatly changed.

  Furthermore, the conventional gelling agent composition for those with difficulty in chewing / swallowing mainly eats liquid foods such as water and tea that are gelled, such as fruit juice drinks, miso soup, milk, concentrated liquid foods, etc. There is a need for improved versatility including liquid foods with low pH, liquid foods with high mineral, fat, and protein contents. In addition, for foods that are eaten in an originally warm state, such as miso soup, for example, there is a need for a gelling agent that can maintain physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing even when reheated.

JP 2002-300854 A JP 2001-346527 A JP 2005-253347 A JP-A-11-124342 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-262446 JP 2005-245308 A

  Therefore, in the present invention, the dissolution temperature of the gelling agent such as 50 to 60 ° C. can be well dispersed and dissolved in a relatively low temperature liquid food product to gel the liquid food product, and reheating is performed. Even so, an object of the present invention is to provide a gelling agent capable of maintaining good shape retention without dissolving the gel food. Gelation can be applied not only to water and tea, but also to liquid foods with low pH, such as fruit juice, miso soup, milk, and concentrated liquid food, and liquid foods with high mineral, fat, and protein contents. Furthermore, a gelling agent that can provide a gel-like food that is well-dispersed even under gentle stirring conditions such as hand stirring without being lumped and suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. The purpose is to provide. Furthermore, it aims at improving not only a chewing / swallowing difficult person itself but the convenience of the nurse.

In light of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present inventors have conducted extensive research, and include a readily soluble agar as a gelling agent and guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more, By setting the content of the guar gum to 60 to 700% by mass with respect to the readily soluble agar, even a liquid food having a relatively low temperature as a dissolution temperature of the gelling agent such as 50 to 60 ° C. can be well dispersed and dissolved. Thus, the present inventors have found that the liquid food can be gelled and that even when reheating is performed, the gel food can be kept in good shape without dissolving, and the present invention has been achieved. Furthermore, the present inventors include xanthan gum in addition to the above agar and guar gum, thereby eliminating the textured brittleness derived from agar and imparting more appropriate elasticity, and the native type The gelation time was shortened by containing gellan gum, and it discovered that the gel-like food suitable for a chewing / swallowing person's eating can be provided in a shorter time, and completed this invention.

The present invention relates to a gelling agent for preparing a gel-like food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing having the following aspects;
Item 1. A gelling agent for preparing a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, comprising a readily soluble agar and a guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more. The gelling agent is characterized in that the content of the guar gum is 60 to 700% by mass.
Item 2. Item 2. The gelling agent according to Item 1, further comprising xanthan gum and / or native gellan gum.
Item 3. Item 3. The gelling agent according to Item 1 or 2, further comprising at least one binder selected from dextrin, starch and saccharide.
Item 4. Item 4. The gelling agent according to any one of Items 1 to 3, which is granulated.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing having the following embodiment;
Item 5. Item 5. A gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing prepared by adding the gelling agent according to any one of Items 1 to 4 to a liquid food.
Item 6. Item 6. The gelled food for people with difficulty in chewing / swallowing according to Item 5, wherein the liquid food satisfies at least one of the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) The pH is in the range of 2-5.
(2) Mineral content is 0.01-10 mass% with respect to liquid food whole quantity.
(3) The fat content is 0.1 to 50% by mass with respect to the total amount of liquid food.
(4) Protein content is 0.1-20 mass% with respect to liquid food whole quantity.

  By using the gelling agent of the present invention, the dissolution temperature of the gelling agent is well dispersed and dissolved even in a liquid food of 50 to 60 ° C., which is relatively low temperature, and is allowed to stand and cool at room temperature. It is possible to prepare a gel food suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Furthermore, according to the present invention, even when re-warmed, good shape retention can be maintained without dissolving the gel-like food, so that it can be provided in a warm state such as miso soup (soup). In addition, the gelling agent of the present invention is generally a low pH liquid food, which is difficult to adjust to physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing or swallowing, minerals such as salt, fat And liquid foods with a high protein content.

  Further, the gelling agent of the present invention can be well dispersed and dissolved in a liquid food without causing any fouling even by gentle stirring such as manual stirring, and a gel-like food with stable quality can be prepared. Furthermore, since the gelling time can be shortened, a gel-like food suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing can be easily prepared in a short time at the bedside or at home. Moreover, the gelling agent of the present invention can adjust the physical properties of the gel in accordance with the degree of injury and physical condition by adjusting the amount of addition. Even from this point, the gelling agent of the present invention is useful as a so-called instant gelling agent.

The gelling agent of the present invention is a gelling agent for preparing a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, and comprises a readily soluble agar and a guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more. In addition, the content of the guar gum is 60 to 700% by mass with respect to the readily soluble agar.

  The gel food for people with difficulty in chewing / swallowing as used in the present invention refers to a gel food prepared for those who have difficulty in chewing / swallowing, which has an obstacle in a series of operations of chewing and crushing food. In addition, as physical properties suitable for gel-like foods for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, 1) having an appropriate hardness, 2) excellent bolus formation (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) oral cavity and Examples include low adhesion to the pharynx and 4) high water retention (low water separation). And by using the gelling agent of this invention, it became possible to prepare the gel-like food suitable for the eating of the chewing / swallowing person who satisfy | fills said requirements. Further, the gelling agent of the present invention does not require heating and dissolution at a high temperature, and the gelling agent dissolves and dissolves even when added to a liquid food at a relatively low temperature, such as 50 to 60 ° C. Therefore, it is possible to prepare a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing easily and in a short time. In this respect, the gelling agent of the present invention is highly useful as a so-called instant gelling agent.

The readily soluble agar used in the gelling agent of the present invention refers to agar having the following properties.
(A) The dissolution rate is 60 to 100%, preferably 70 to 100%, more preferably 80 to 100%. The dissolution rate in the present invention refers to the gel strength obtained when 1% agar is dissolved in 90 ° C. water and the gel strength is prepared, and when the gel is prepared by dissolving 1% agar in 50 ° C. water. Relative value of gel strength is calculated by the following formula: dissolution rate (%) = gel strength (50 ° C. dissolution) / gel strength (90 ° C. dissolution) × 100 "Dissolution rate"). Further, the readily soluble agar used in the present invention is a neutral polysaccharide derived from seaweed containing galactose as the main component as in normal agar, and has repeating units of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactose.

  On the other hand, the conventional agar has a dissolution rate of 0% at 50 ° C., and when a gel food is prepared using such agar, it requires hot dissolution at a high temperature of 90 to 100 ° C. There is a problem that it is difficult to use especially for elderly people. Furthermore, agar forms a brittle textured gel, and once crushed gel has the property that it is difficult to reattach, while on the other hand, when used at a low concentration to reduce brittleness, there is a problem that water separation increases. In addition, it was difficult for agar alone to impart physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing or swallowing.

In the present invention, guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more, preferably 1.5 × 10 ^{6 to} 3.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol is used in combination with easily soluble agar. It is characterized by that. Here, guar gum is a legume-derived neutral polysaccharide in which α-D-galactose is linked to the main chain skeleton of β-1,4-D-mannan as a side chain in 1,6, and is used in the food industry. Is used as a thickener in sauces, noodles, ice creams and the like. The ratio of mannose and galactose in guar gum is about 2: 1, and the side chain group content is higher than other industrially produced galactomannans (tara gum, locust bean gum), and the solubility in water is also high. high. For the guar gum, both purified and unpurified types can be applied.

And this invention discovered that the following effect was show | played by using together the guar gum which has the said specific molecular weights, such as a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 * 10 < ⁶ > g / mol or more, and easily soluble agar, especially among guar gums. It is a perfect invention. And in the gelling agent of the present invention, guar gum reinforces the gel structure of agar (including molecular interaction), eliminates the fragile texture derived from agar, and imparts appropriate viscoelasticity, Furthermore, there is an effect of increasing water retention. In addition, there is an effect of increasing the gelation temperature of the agar, and the time required for gel formation is shortened. Neither agar nor guar gum contains acidic or basic functional groups, and therefore, a gel-like food having the same texture and mechanical properties is stably prepared regardless of coexisting substances such as minerals, fats and proteins. be able to. In the present invention, the weight average molecular weight was determined by size exclusion chromatography-multi-angle light scattering method. Guar gum having the specific weight average molecular weight described above is commercially available, and examples thereof include Bistop [trademark] D-2029 manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.

The gelling agent of the present invention is 60 to 700% by mass, more preferably 80 to 500% by mass, and more preferably 80 to 500% by mass of guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more with respect to readily soluble agar. Preferably it contains 100-300 mass%, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. By blending easily soluble agar and guar gum in the above specific amounts, it can be dissolved directly at a temperature suitable for food and drink such as 50-60 ° C., and then left at room temperature without passing through a special cooling step. Then, by simply cooling, a gel food suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing can be easily prepared. Furthermore, the gelling agent of the present invention has a good shape retaining property without dissolving the gel food even after re-heating to about 60 ° C. once the gel food is prepared. Since the physical properties suitable as a gel-like composition for persons with difficulty in swallowing can be maintained, a gel-like food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing that can be eaten in a warm state such as gel-like miso soup can be provided. It is also possible to prepare a gel-like food in advance and heat it when eating and immediately provide a gel-like food for those who have difficulty in chewing / swallowing.

The gelling agent of the present invention preferably further contains xanthan gum and / or native gellan gum. Here, xanthan gum is a fermentation polysaccharide produced by Xanthomonas campesrtis . Xanthan gum has β-1,4-D-glucan as the main chain skeleton, and side chains consisting of α-D-mannose, β-D-glucuronic acid, and β-D-mannose every other glucose molecule in the main chain. In some cases, the mannose bound to the main chain is acetylated at the C6 position, and the terminal mannose is acetal-bonded to pyruvic acid. In the present invention, xanthan gum having an acetyl group content lower than usual or containing no acetyl group, and xanthan gum having a lower pyruvic acid content than usual or containing no pyruvic acid can also be used. By containing xanthan gum in addition to readily soluble agar and guar gum, the texture and mechanical properties of the gel food prepared using the gelling agent can be improved. Specifically, the textured brittleness derived from agar is eliminated and moderate viscoelasticity is imparted. The effect of reinforcing the gel structure of the agar is small, but it has the effect of increasing the viscosity due to molecular interaction with guar gum. In addition, the above-mentioned xanthan gum is commercially available. For example, Bistop [trademark] D-3000-C (xanthan gum standard type) manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd. can be mentioned.

  The amount of xanthan gum added to the gelling agent of the present invention can be appropriately adjusted depending on the liquid food to be applied and the required physical properties. Specifically, the amount of xanthan gum is based on the total amount of the readily soluble agar and guar gum. 1 to 200% by mass, preferably 5 to 100% by mass, more preferably 20 to 80% by mass.

On the other hand, native gellan gum (high acyl gellan gum) is a fermented polysaccharide produced by Sphingomonas elodea . It is a linear acidic polysaccharide composed of four molecules of 1-3-bonded glucose, 1-4-bonded glucuronic acid, 1-4-bonded glucose, and 1-4-bonded rhamnose, and has 1-3 bonds 1 glucose glyceryl group and acetyl group are bonded to 1/2 glucose on average per one constituent unit. By including native gellan gum, it is possible to shorten the gelation time when a gelled food is prepared using the gelling agent of the present invention. Specifically, since the glyceryl group bonded to the 1-3 bonded glucose residue contributes to the formation of the helix structure, there is an effect of gelation at a high temperature. The above-mentioned native gellan gum is commercially available, and examples thereof include Kelcogel HT manufactured by San-Ei Gen FFI Co., Ltd.

  The amount of the native gellan gum can be adjusted as appropriate according to the liquid food to be applied and the required physical properties. Specifically, the amount of native gellan gum is 1 to 200 mass based on the total amount of the readily soluble agar and guar gum. %, Preferably 5 to 100% by mass, more preferably 10 to 50% by mass.

  The preparation method of the gelling agent containing the above-mentioned readily soluble agar and guar gum having a specific weight average molecular weight is not particularly limited as long as the gelling agent finally contains easily soluble agar and guar gum. The form of the gelling agent is not particularly limited, and various forms such as liquid, semi-solid, solid, and powder can be used. Specific examples of the preparation method of the gelling agent include (1) a method of mixing with powder using a ribbon mixer or a V blender, and (2) a method of dissolving and uniformly dispersing into liquid by heating in water. (3) A method of preparing solutions separately and mixing them at the time of use, (4) A method of adding a poor solvent such as alcohol to the mixed solution, and coprecipitation treatment (co-process treatment) of agar and guar gum, (5) (6) Mixing with a powder by spray drying, etc., (6) Mixing with powder, compressing with a press and compressing into tablets, (7) Mixing with powder and making Examples of the method include granulating and granulating methods, and it is preferable to use the method according to (7).

  In addition, the said gelatinizer can improve the dispersibility to a liquid food, and a solubility by including a binder (double powder), As such a binder, at least selected from dextrin, starch, and saccharides. One or more binders can be added. Specifically, as dextrins, dextrin, amylodextrin, erythrodextrin, acrodextrin, maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, starch as corn, waxy corn, potato, sweet potato, wheat, rice, sticky rice, tapioca, sago palm Raw starch or modified starch obtained by subjecting the starch to physical or chemical treatment (acid-degraded starch, oxidized starch, pregelatinized starch, grafted starch, ether introduced with carboxymethyl group, hydroxyalkyl group, etc.) Starch, esterified starch introduced with acetyl groups, cross-linked starch in which two or more hydroxyl groups of starch are bonded via functional groups, emulsified starch introduced with hydrophobic groups such as octenyl succinic acid groups, wet heat / dry Heat-treated starch, etc.). Examples of the saccharide include sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, saccharified starch, reduced starch syrup, and trehalose. Among these, dextrin having a DE of about 1 to 50 can be preferably used. And the dispersibility and solubility to the liquid foodstuff of a gelatinizer can be improved by making the above-mentioned binder contain in a gelatinizer by mixing, such as powder mixing.

  The blending ratio of the binder can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type and form of the gelling agent to be used, but with respect to the total amount of easily soluble agar and guar gum, and if necessary, xanthan gum and / or native gellan gum. 10 to 1000% by mass, preferably 50 to 900% by mass, more preferably 100 to 400% by mass.

  In addition, when using the gelatinizer of this invention in the form of a powder, it is preferable that the gelatinizer is granulated (granulated) from the viewpoint of the dispersibility to a liquid food, and a solubility. By granulating, the dispersibility and solubility in liquid foods are further improved, and the gelling agent can be dissolved without causing lumps even under loose stirring conditions such as manual stirring. That is, elderly people and caregivers can easily handle it, and the physical properties of the gel-like food prepared using the gelling agent are also stabilized. Granulation can be performed by a conventional method, and examples thereof include a granulation method using a known apparatus such as a rotary dropping granulator, a fluidized bed granulator, and a rolling granulator. Among them, a method of granulating with a fluidized bed granulator is preferable. In addition, it does not specifically limit as a binder (granulating agent) at the time of granulation, The above-mentioned binder can be used.

  By adding the gelling agent of the present invention to a liquid food, a gel-like food having physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing can be prepared, but the liquid food to be gelled is not particularly limited. In addition, various liquid foods having moisture and fluidity can be used. Specific examples of liquid food include water, milk, milk drinks, lactic acid bacteria drinks, drink yogurt, soft drinks with fruit juice, fruit juice drinks such as orange juice, vegetable juice drinks, tea drinks, coffee drinks, cocoa drinks, sports drinks, functionality Beverages, ionic beverages, vitamin supplements, nutritional balanced beverages, fruit wines such as red wine, consommé soup, potage soup, cream soup, Chinese soup and other soups, miso soup, fresh soup, stew, curry, gratin, etc. Special foods such as foods, protein / phosphorus / potassium-adjusted foods, salt-adjusted foods, oil-and-fat-adjusted foods, intestinal foods, calcium / iron / vitamin-enriched foods, hypoallergenic foods, concentrated liquid foods, blended foods, and chopped foods Liquid foods (including pasty foods), liquid seasonings such as soy sauce, sauces and dressings It can gel directly to these liquid foods, it can be added to the gelling agent of the present invention for preparing a gelled food product. Alternatively, the gelling agent of the present invention can be mixed with a powdery seasoning, pigment, and fragrance, and further granulated (granulated). In this case, the above-mentioned powder mixture or granule is added to a certain amount of hot water, and after dispersion / dissolution, it is cooled to prepare a gel food.

  As described above, the gelling agent of the present invention can be applied to various liquid foods, but particularly stable, such as low pH liquid foods and liquid foods having a high content of minerals, fats, and proteins. Even when it is used for liquid foods that are difficult to form gels, it shows superior suitability compared to other gelling agents. Examples of the liquid food that hardly forms a gel stably include liquid foods that satisfy at least one of the following conditions (1) to (4).

(1) Liquid foods having a pH in the range of 2 to 5 As examples of these liquid foods (including pasty foods), fruit juice drinks such as orange juice, soft drinks, acidic milk drinks, drink yogurt, acidic concentrated liquid foods, etc. Can be mentioned.

(2) Liquid food minerals having a mineral content of 0.01 to 10% by mass include sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, chromium, molybdenum, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, lithium, and panadium. , Cobalt, nickel, boron, germanium, bromine, iodine and the like. Examples of liquid foods (including pasty foods) containing a certain amount of minerals include saline, miso soup, soup, soy sauce, sauces, dressings, ionic beverages, vitamin supplements, balanced nutrition beverages, concentrated liquid foods, etc. Can be mentioned.

(3) Liquid foods with a fat content of 0.1 to 50% by weight Examples of these liquid foods (including pasty foods) include milk drinks such as milk, lactic acid bacteria drinks, coffee with milk, tea with milk , Milk cocoa, milk shake, sour milk beverage, fruit milk, concentrated liquid food, and the like.

(4) Liquid foods with a protein content of 0.1 to 20% by weight Examples of these liquid foods (including pasty foods) include concentrated liquid foods and vegetable protein-containing beverages such as soy milk, protein beverages, etc. The energy drink can be mentioned.

  Furthermore, the gelling agent of the present invention can also be suitably used for liquid foods (including pasty foods) that satisfy the above conditions (1) to (4) in combination. Examples of such liquid foods include drink yogurt, soup, and concentrated liquid food.

  In addition, the gel-like concentrated liquid food prepared using the gelling agent of the present invention has less gastroesophageal reflux, compared to the case where a liquid thick liquid food is administered through the stomach and enterally, from the fistula. There are features such as less liquid leakage and shortened administration time. Moreover, since the adhesiveness is low, the fluidity in the tube is good, and the residue in the tube is small, so that it is excellent as a concentrated liquid food for enteral / tube administration from both physical properties and hygiene.

  Here, the concentrated liquid food has a caloric value of 1 kcal / mL or more and contains at least protein, lipid, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, etc., and minimizes side effects such as diarrhea. It is higher than the osmotic pressure, has fluidity to pass even in a thin tube, has a good flavor, and has emulsion stability that can be stored at room temperature for several months.

  By using the gelling agent of the present invention, a gel food suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing can be easily prepared even for liquid foods that are difficult to stably form a gel as described above. be able to. The amount of the gelling agent added to the gel food can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type of liquid food to be gelled, the required gel strength (hardness), and the like. Is easily mixed agar and guar gum in the above-mentioned mixing ratio, and 0.05 to 0.9% by mass, preferably 0.05 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.05% to 0.8% by mass with respect to gelled food. 0.05-0.7 mass%, Guar gum is 0.03-3.0 mass%, preferably 0.035-2.0 mass%, more preferably 0.04-1.5 mass%, based on gel food % Can be added.

  In addition, by using the gelling agent according to the present invention, it is possible to prepare a gelled food at a relatively low temperature as the gelling agent dissolution temperature such as 50 to 60 ° C., but the gelled food is prepared. The temperature at the time is not particularly limited to this, and a gel-like food suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing can be prepared through a heating and dissolving step at a temperature higher than 60 ° C., if necessary. Further, in the present invention, since a gel food can be prepared by cooling at room temperature without using a cooling device in particular, the gel food for those who have difficulty chewing / swallowing easily at the bedside or in the home kitchen. Can be prepared.

As described above, the physical properties suitable for gel foods for persons with difficulty in chewing and swallowing are as follows: 1) having moderate hardness, 2) excellent mass formation (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) Examples include low adhesion to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) high water retention (low water separation). The gel strength of the gel food is 5 × 10 ^{2 to} 5 × 10 ⁵ N / m ² , preferably 5 × 10 ^{2 to} 5 × 10 ⁴ N / m ² , more preferably 20 ° C. 5 and the like to be a ^{× 10 2 ~1 × 10 4 N} / m 2. In this case, the gel strength refers to the compressive stress when measured by the hardness measurement method of the special-purpose food “food for the elderly” of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. In the present invention, the gel strength was measured using a texture analyzer (TA-XT2i, Stable Micro Systems) at a plunger of 20 mm in diameter, compression rate: 10 mm / sec, and clearance: 5 mm. The gelling agent of the present invention is well dispersed and dissolved in liquid foods that are difficult to form a gel stably, such as liquid foods with low pH and liquid foods with a high content of minerals, fats, and proteins. As a result, the quality can be stabilized.

  The gelling agent of the present invention includes carrageenan (a copolymer such as kappa, iota, lambda, or a hybrid type thereof), alginic acids (alginic acid, alginates), galacto as long as the effects of the present invention are not adversely affected. Mannan (fenugreek gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, etc.), tamarind seed gum (including galactose side chain removed), cassia gum, glucomannan, psyllium seed gum, soybean polysaccharide, pectin (low methoxyl type, high methoxyl type) , Low methoxyamide type, sugar bead-derived pectin), gum arabic, gati gum, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, deacylated gellan gum, pullulan, curdlan, macrohomopsis gum, gelatin, methylcellulose (MC), hydroxypropylme Cellulose derivatives such as cellulose cellulose (HPMC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), water-soluble hemicellulose, processed / modified starch, raw starch (raw starch), dextrin, etc. One or two or more selected gelling agents, thickeners, and the like can be used in combination.

  The gelling agent of the present invention includes sucrose fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester (monoglycerin fatty acid ester, diglycerin fatty acid ester, organic acid monoglyceride, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid ester), sorbitan fatty acid ester. , Propylene glycol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (polysorbate), lecithin, stearoyl lactate (sodium or calcium), emulsifier such as yucca extract, citric acid, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, succinic acid, succinic acid Sodium, tartaric acid, sodium tartrate, potassium hydrogen tartrate, lactic acid, sodium lactate, ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, gluconic acid, sodium gluconate, Potassium Con acids, may be added sodium erythorbate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, organic acids such as phytic acid, inorganic acids and salts thereof. Furthermore, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, high sweetness sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, stevia, acesulfame potassium, thaumatin, saccharin, catechin, carnitine, glucosamine, chondroitin, isoflavone, lignan, propolis Functional materials such as collagen can be added. Furthermore, fragrance | flavors, such as a natural fragrance | flavor and a synthetic fragrance | flavor, coloring agents, such as a caramel pigment | dye, and a seasoning can be added.

  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”.

Experimental Example 1 Preparation of Gelling Agents Gelling agents of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 were prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 1. Specifically, various powder raw materials shown in Table 1 are mixed, and using a fluidized bed granulator, granulated by spraying 250 g of deionized water as a binder liquid onto 500 g of the powder mixture, and various gelling agents ( Granule product) was prepared. Moreover, as Comparative Example 6, a commercial product containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum was used.

Note 1) Agar with a dissolution rate of 98% at 50 ° C was used.
Note 2) Agar with a dissolution rate at 50 ° C. of 0% was used.
Note 3) Guar gum having a weight average molecular weight ^{Note 5)} of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol obtained from size exclusion chromatography-multi-angle light scattering method was used.
Note 4) Guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of about 0.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol obtained from size exclusion chromatography-multi-angle light scattering method was used.

Note 5) The weight average molecular weight of guar gum was determined by a multi-angle light scattering method (SEC-MALLS) coupled with size exclusion chromatography. Specifically, OHpak SB-806M HQ with an exclusion volume of 20 million Da was used as the column for size exclusion chromatography, 0.05M sodium nitrate / 0.02% sodium azide was used as the mobile phase, and the flow rate was 0.5 mL. Fractionation was performed at / min. Next, the scattering intensity (scattering angle: 26 to 132 degrees) of the fractionated sample was measured at a temperature of 25 ° C. and a wavelength of 633 nm with a static light scattering measurement device DAWN-DSP. Moreover, the guar gum density | concentration of each fraction was measured with RI detector (Shodex RI-101). The guar gum concentration of the measurement sample was set to 0.01% (w / v), filtered through a membrane filter having a pore size of 0.45 μm, and then subjected to measurement. In each fraction, the relationship between the scattering intensity and the scattering angle was Zimmmlotted, and the weight average molecular weight was calculated.

Experimental Example 2 Preparation of gelled food 1
Gelled foods were prepared using each gelling agent (granular product) (Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5) of Experimental Example 1, and the texture and physical properties were examined. Specifically, 100 ml of ion exchange water adjusted to 60 ° C. was weighed into a 200 ml beaker, and 2.5 g of each gelling agent (Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5) was added while stirring with a spatula. . However, the gelling agent of Comparative Example 6, which is a commercial product containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum, is a gel-like food having the same degree of gel strength as in Examples 1 to 3, so the amount added is 1.2 g. It was. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (about 4 rotations / second), the container (pudding cup, diameter of about 6 cm, height of about 4 cm, capacity of 90 ml) is filled and cooled at 20 ° C. for 2 hours to form a gel food (Example) 1-a to 3-a and Comparative Examples 1-a to 6-a) were prepared. 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Performed at 5 mm.

The results are shown in Table 2. The evaluation criteria for each item are as follows.
1) Hardness (measured value of gel strength)
2) Bolus formation (5: very good, 4: good, 3: slightly good, 2: slightly bad, 1: bad)
3) Adhesion (5: very good (adhesion is very small), 4: good (small), 3: slightly good (somewhat small), 2: slightly bad (somewhat large), 1: bad (large) )
4) Water retention (5: very little water separation, 4: low, 3: slightly low, 2: slightly high, 1: high)
5) Occurrence of lumps (5: very low, 4: low, 3: low, 2: low, 1: high)
6) Solubility (5: very good, 4: good, 3: slightly good, 2: slightly bad, 1: bad)

The gelled food (Example 1-a) prepared using the gelling agent of Example 1 (easily soluble agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) has an appropriate hardness and bolus. It has formability, low adhesion, and little water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. Gel food (Example 2-a) prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2 containing xanthan gum in addition to easily soluble agar and guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol. The texture and physical properties were the same as those of Example 1-a, but they were more viscoelastic than Example 1-a and more excellent in the formation of bolus. On the other hand, a gel food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 3 containing native gellan gum in addition to easily soluble agar and a guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol (Example 3) -A) had the same texture and physical properties as Example 1-a, but was slightly more adherent than Example 1-a. However, as a whole, the texture and physical properties were suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing and swallowing. Moreover, since the gel was formed at a higher temperature than Example 1-a, the time required for gel preparation could be shortened. In any of the gel foods of Examples 1-a to 3-a, the hardness (gel strength) is determined according to the standard of “Food for people with difficulty in swallowing” in “Food for the elderly” The value measured by the measuring method of “food for consumers” was 10,000 N / m ² or less).

On the other hand, the gelling agent of Comparative Example 1 prepared using ordinary agar (ordinary agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) does not dissolve at 60 ° C. It was not possible to prepare a gel-like food product for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing (Comparative Example 1-a). In addition, a gel-like food prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 2 containing a low molecular weight guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of about 0.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol, although using readily soluble agar ( Comparative Example 2-a) was a non-uniform and weak gel containing aggregates, had a lot of water separation, and had a texture and physical properties that were not suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. Furthermore, the gel food (Comparative Example 3-a) prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 3 (easily soluble agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) Although easily soluble agar and guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol were used, the addition amount of guar gum was less than 60% by mass with respect to agar, and it had a brittle texture and formed a bolus. The texture and physical properties were unsuitable for eating by those who had difficulty chewing or swallowing. Further, the hardness (gel strength) of the gel food of Comparative Example 3-a did not satisfy the standard of “Food for people with difficulty in swallowing” of “Food for the elderly”. Similarly, although the easily soluble agar and the guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol were used, the amount of the guar gum added was more than 700% by mass with respect to the agar. The gel-like food (Comparative Example 4-a) prepared by using a large stickiness, heavy texture, and texture and physical properties that are not suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing.

  On the other hand, a gel-like food (Comparative Example 5-a) prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 5 containing gelatin that has been conventionally used as a base material for swallowing and nursing foods is 20 ° C. for 2 hours. Cooling does not form a gel sufficiently, and there is no clear break point in the hardness measurement. To form a gel, it is necessary to stand still for a long time (for example, 24 hours) at a lower temperature (for example, 5 ° C.). It was necessary. Similarly, the gelatinous food (Comparative Example 6-a) prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 6 which is a conventional commercially available nursing food gelling agent containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum is 60 ° C. However, it did not dissolve completely, resulting in undissolved residue, high adhesion, water separation, and a texture and physical properties that were not suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing.

As described above, the dissolution temperature of the gelling agent such as 50 to 60 ° C. is well dispersed and dissolved in a relatively low temperature liquid food, has an appropriate hardness and a bolus forming property, has low adhesion, and has little water separation. In order to prepare a gel-like food suitable for eating for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, a readily soluble agar (dissolution rate at 50 ° C. is 60 to 100%) and a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / It turned out that the combined use of more than mol guar gum is essential. In addition to the above-mentioned easily soluble agar and guar gum having a specific molecular weight, addition of xanthan gum further improves the food mass formation and temperature stability (action of suppressing changes in texture and physical properties when reheated: Experimental Example 8 described later) In addition, by adding native gellan gum, it was possible to shorten the time required for the gel food to form a gel. However, even when the above-mentioned easily soluble agar and guar gum having a specific molecular weight were used, when the easily soluble agar was excessive, the texture of the gel food became brittle, and the formation of the bolus was reduced. In addition, when the guar gum is excessive, the prepared gel food has a heavy texture and increased adhesion, and both of them become gel food that is not suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. . On the other hand, when ordinary agar having a dissolution rate at 50 ° C. of less than 60% is used as a gelling agent, even when used in combination with guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more, Melting at about 60 ° C. resulted in insufficient gel formation. Moreover, even when easily soluble agar and guar gum are used, when guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of less than 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol is used, a uniform gel is not formed. It was not suitable as a base material for the gelling agent of the invention.

  At present, gelatin is widely used as a base material for swallowing and nursing foods, but when a gelatinous food for persons with difficulty in chewing or swallowing is prepared using gelatin, it takes a long time (for example, 24 hours) to form a gel. Refrigerated storage (stationary) is required. In addition, commercially available nursing food gelling agents often contain xanthan gum and locust bean gum as main ingredients, but high-temperature heating at 80 to 90 ° C. or higher is required for gel preparation. However, gelling agents for preparing foods for those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing are sometimes used not only in well-equipped cooking facilities, but also by patients and their caregivers at the bedside or in the home kitchen. Therefore, the gelling agent of the present invention which can be dissolved at a temperature of about 60 ° C. and can prepare a gel at room temperature not only contributes to the improvement of QOL of those with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, but is also convenient for caregivers who prepare meals. Excellent in properties.

Experimental Example 3 Preparation of gel food 2
In order to examine the influence of the dissolution temperature on the texture and physical properties of the gel food, the gel food using each gelling agent (granular product) of Example 1 (Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 6). Was prepared. Specifically, 100 ml of ion-exchanged water adjusted to 60 ° C. or 80 ° C. was weighed into a 200 ml beaker and stirred with a spatula, and each gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2). Of 2.5 g was added. However, only the gelling agent of Comparative Example 6 was added in an amount of 1.2 g. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (about 4 revolutions / second), the container (pudding cup, diameter about 6 cm, height about 4 cm, capacity 90 ml) is filled, cooled at 20 ° C. for 2 hours, and gelled food (Example) 1-b-c and Comparative Examples 1-b-c, Comparative Examples 2-b-c, and Comparative Examples 6-b-c) were prepared. 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 3. The evaluation criteria for each item were in accordance with Experimental Example 2.

Gelled foods (Examples 1-b and 1-c) prepared using the gelling agent of Example 1 (easily soluble agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) Regardless of the dissolution temperature, it has moderate hardness and food mass formation, has low adhesion, and has little water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Hardness (gel strength) is not easily affected by the dissolution temperature, and at any dissolution temperature, it satisfies the standard of “Food for the elderly and those who have difficulty swallowing”.

On the other hand, the gelling agent of Comparative Example 1 (ordinary agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) does not form a gel when dissolved at 60 ° C. (Comparative Example 1-b) In the case of melting at 80 ° C., a weak gel (without a clear breaking point at which gel strength can be measured) was formed (Comparative Example 1-c). It was a physical property. Gel foods (Comparative Examples 2-b and c) prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 2 (easily soluble agar and low-molecular guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 0.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) At any dissolution temperature of 60 ° C. and 80 ° C., the gel was a non-uniform and weak gel containing aggregates, had a lot of water separation, and had a texture and physical properties that were not suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. On the other hand, a gel food prepared using a commercially available nursing food gelling agent (Comparative Example 6) containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum is slightly hard by dissolving at 80 ° C. A gel-like food product having a good bolus forming property, low adhesion, and little water separation could be prepared (Comparative Example 6-c). However, at a melting temperature of 60 ° C., the gelling agent is not completely dissolved, resulting in undissolved residue, and the prepared gel food (Comparative Example 6-b) has high adhesion and water separation is also observed. The texture and physical properties were not suitable for eating by those with difficulty in chewing or swallowing. Thus, when the gelling agent of Comparative Example 6 is used, the physical properties and texture of the gelled food prepared by changing the dissolution temperature are greatly changed, and are constant regardless of the dissolution temperature. A gel-like food suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing could not be provided.

On the other hand, the gelling agent of the present invention containing a readily soluble agar and a guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more in a specific ratio, as long as a heating temperature of 60 ° C. or more is secured. ,
A gel-like food having a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing and swallowing can be prepared regardless of the dissolution temperature, and the texture and physical properties of the gel-like food hardly change depending on the dissolution temperature.
Therefore, it is not only easy for a person with difficulty in chewing / swallowing but also convenience for a caregiver who prepares a meal.

Experimental Example 4 Preparation of gel food 3
The versatility of the gelling agent was evaluated from the change in the texture and physical properties of the gel food due to the difference in the liquid food. A gelled food was prepared using the gelling agent (granular product) of Example 1 (Example 1, Comparative Examples 3 and 6). Specifically, 100 ml of liquid food (ion-exchanged water, milk, miso soup) adjusted to 80 ° C. was weighed in a 200 ml beaker and stirred with a spatula to prepare each gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 1, comparison). Example 3) was added in 2.5 g portions. However, only the comparative example 6 added amount was 1.2g. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (about 4 revolutions / second), the container (pudding cup, diameter about 6 cm, height about 4 cm, capacity 90 ml) was filled and cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours to prepare a gel food. (Examples 1-df and Comparative Examples 3-df, Comparative Examples 6-df). 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 4. The evaluation criteria for each item were in accordance with Experimental Example 2.

Gelled food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 1 (easily soluble agar and guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol) is ion-exchanged water (Example 1-d). , Milk (Example 1-e), miso soup (Example 1-f), etc., liquid foods to be gelled, have moderate hardness and bolus formation, low adhesion, The water release was low, and the texture and physical properties were suitable for eating by people with difficulty in chewing or swallowing. Hardness (gel strength) hardly changed depending on the difference in liquid foods, and all liquid foods satisfied the standards for “food for the elderly and those with difficulty in swallowing” of “food for the elderly”.

On the other hand, even when the readily soluble agar and the weight average molecular weight contained 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol, the gelling agent of Comparative Example 3 in which the addition amount of guar gum to the easily soluble agar was less than 60% by mass was used. The gel food prepared by use may be any liquid food such as ion-exchanged water (Comparative Example 3-d), milk (Comparative Example 3-e), and miso soup (Comparative Example 3-f). It had a fragile texture, poor mass formation, and a texture and physical properties that were not suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. In addition, the hardness (gel strength) does not satisfy the standard of “food for elderly people” and “food for people with difficulty in swallowing”, and the hardness of the gel food is large depending on the liquid food to be gelled. changed. On the other hand, when a commercially available nursing food gelling agent (Comparative Example 6, containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum) is dissolved in ion-exchanged water (Comparative Example 6-d), it is a little hard, but moderate bolus formation It is a gel with low adhesiveness, low water release, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by people with difficulty in chewing / swallowing.・ Satisfied with the standards of “food for people with difficulty swallowing”, but when used in liquid foods containing fats and minerals such as milk and miso soup, it gives appropriate physical properties as a gel food for people with difficulty in chewing and swallowing I couldn't. Specifically, aggregates are formed when dissolved in milk (Comparative Example 6-e), resulting in a non-uniform and weak gel, and not completely dissolved when dissolved in miso soup (Comparative Example 6-f), The gels were non-uniform, and both had a texture and physical properties that were not suitable for eating by those who had difficulty chewing or swallowing.

  On the other hand, the gelling agent of the present invention can stably prepare a gel-like food having a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, regardless of the liquid food to be gelled. . In other words, since the type of liquid food to be gelled is not selected, the versatility is high, and the convenience for caregivers preparing meals is excellent.

Experimental Example 5 Preparation of gel food 4
We examined the versatility of gelling agents based on changes in the texture and physical properties of gel foods due to differences in liquid foods. A gelled food was prepared using the gelling agent (granular product) of Example 1 (Example 2). Specifically, 100 ml of liquid food (ion-exchanged water, green tea, milk, miso soup, orange juice) adjusted to 80 ° C. was weighed in a 200 ml beaker and stirred with a spatula to prepare the gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 Example 2) was added in 2.5 g portions. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (about 4 revolutions / second), the container (pudding cup, diameter about 6 cm, height about 4 cm, capacity 90 ml) was filled and cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours to prepare a gel food. (Examples 2-b to f). 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 5. The evaluation criteria for each item were in accordance with Experimental Example 2.

The gel food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2 (easily soluble agar, guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol and xanthan gum) is a liquid to be gelled. Food (ion-exchanged water (Example 2-b), green tea (Example 2-c), milk (Example 2-d), miso soup (Example 2-e), orange juice (Example 2-f) Regardless, it has moderate hardness and bolus formation, low adhesion, and little water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. (Strength) hardly changed depending on the difference in liquid foods, and all liquid foods satisfied the standard of “Food for people with difficulty in swallowing” in “Food for the elderly”.

  The gelling agent of the present invention can stably give a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, regardless of the liquid food to be gelled. That is, since the kind of liquid food to be gelled is not selected, the versatility is high, and it is shown that the liquid food is excellent in convenience for a caregiver who prepares a meal.

Experimental Example 6 Preparation of gelled food 5 (concentrated liquid food)
About the gelatinizer of this invention, the applicability to a thick liquid food was examined. A gel-like concentrated liquid food was prepared using the gelling agent (granular product) of Example 1 (Example 2). Specifically, commercially available concentrated liquid food A adjusted to 60 ° C. (1.6 kcal / mL, protein content 1.6 g / 100 mL, fat content 4.5 g / 100 mL, mineral content 180 mg / 100 mL) concentrated liquid food B ( 1 kcal / mL, protein content 4.0 g / 100 mL, fat content 2.8 g / 100 mL, mineral content 410 mg / 100 mL) was weighed 100 ml in a 200 ml beaker and stirred with a spatula, and the gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 2) was added in an amount of 2.5 g. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (approx. 4 revolutions / second), the container (purine cup, diameter 6 cm, height 4 cm, capacity 90 ml) is filled and cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours to give a gel-like concentrated liquid food (Example 2-g to h). 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 6. The evaluation criteria for each item were in accordance with Experimental Example 2.

Gel-like concentrated liquid food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2 (easily soluble agar, guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol and xanthan gum) (Example 2-g H) has a moderate hardness and a bolus-forming property, has low adhesion, and has little water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. Also, the hardness (gel strength) hardly changed depending on the type of concentrated liquid food, and any of the concentrated liquid foods satisfied the standard of “Food for the elderly and those with difficulty in swallowing”.

  The gelling agent of the present invention can stably provide a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing even in a concentrated liquid food that is difficult to gel.

Experimental Example 7 Preparation of gelled food 6 (concentrated liquid food)
About the gelatinizer of this invention, the applicability to a thick liquid food was examined. A gel-like concentrated liquid food was prepared using the gelling agent (granular product) of Example 1 (Example 2). Specifically, 50 ml of ion-exchanged water adjusted to 80 ° C. was weighed into a 200 ml beaker, and 2.5 g of the gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 2) was added while stirring at 1000 rpm using a propeller stirrer. . In this gelling agent solution, commercially available concentrated liquid food C (2 kcal / ml, protein content 7.2 g / 100 ml, fat content 7.5 g / 100 ml, mineral content 380 mg / 100 ml), concentrated liquid food D (2 kcal / ml , Protein content 8.0 g / 100 ml, fat content 7.5 g / 100 ml, mineral content 230 mg / 100 ml), or concentrated liquid food E (2 kcal / ml, protein content 7.3 g / 100 ml, fat content 5.6 g / 100 ml) After adjusting the mineral content (410 mg / 100 ml) to 80 ° C., add 50 mL each and stir at 1000 rpm for 3 minutes using a propeller stirrer, then container (pudding cup, diameter 6 cm, height 4 cm, capacity 90 ml) And cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours, and then retort sterilized (121 , 20 min) and the gel-like concentrated liquid diet was prepared (Example 2-I to K). 1) Measure the hardness (gel strength) of the prepared gel-like food, 2) forming a bolus (easiness of collecting food in the mouth), 3) adhering to the oral cavity and pharynx, and 4) water retention Evaluated. Further, 5) generation of lumps when the gelling agent (granular product) was dissolved, and 6) solubility were evaluated. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 7. The evaluation criteria for each item were in accordance with Experimental Example 2.

Gel-like concentrated liquid food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2 (easily soluble agar, guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol and xanthan gum) (Example 2-i -K) had moderate hardness and food mass formation, low adhesion, and little water separation, and had a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing. Also, the hardness (gel strength) hardly changed depending on the type of concentrated liquid food, and any of the concentrated liquid foods satisfied the standard of “Food for the elderly and those with difficulty in swallowing”.

  The gelling agent of the present invention can stably provide a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing even in a concentrated liquid food that is difficult to gel. In addition, in the gel-like concentrated liquid food using the gelling agent of the present invention, there is usually no appearance due to protein aggregation, which occurs when the concentrated liquid food is sterilized by retort. Is also expensive.

Experimental Example 8 Reheating of Gelled Food In order to examine the effect of reheating on the texture and physical properties of gelled food, the gelling agent (granular product) prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 2 and Comparative Example) A gel food was prepared using 5, 6). Specifically, 100 ml of ion-exchanged water adjusted to 60 ° C. is weighed in a 200 ml beaker, and 2.5 g of the gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 2 and Comparative Example 5) is added while stirring with a spatula. did. However, only the comparative example 6 added amount was 1.2g. After stirring for 30 seconds with a spatula (approximately 4 revolutions / second), the container (pudding cup, diameter 6 cm, height 4 cm, volume 90 ml) was filled and cooled at 5 ° C. for 24 hours to prepare a gel food. (Example 2-1 and Comparative Example 5-b, Comparative Example 6-g). The prepared gel-like food was heated in a 60 ° C. incubator for 30 minutes, and the hardness (gel strength) was measured before and after reheating. Hardness (gel strength) is measured using a texture analyzer according to the method for measuring foods for special use "food for the elderly" by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, plunger: 20 mm diameter cylinder, compression speed: 10 mm / second, clearance: Performed at 5 mm. The results are shown in Table 8.

A gelled food (Example 2-1) prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2 (easily soluble agar, guar gum: containing a weight average molecular weight of about 2.0 × 10 ⁶ g / mol and xanthan gum) The gel did not melt by reheating, and the texture (appropriate hardness and bolus formation) suitable for eating with difficulty in chewing and swallowing was maintained. The decrease in hardness (gel strength) due to reheating was about 25%, indicating excellent temperature stability.

  On the other hand, the gel food (Comparative Example 5-b) prepared using the gelling agent of Comparative Example 5 containing gelatin was melted by reheating and became liquid. Moreover, the gelatinous food (Comparative Example 6-g) prepared using the commercially available nursing food gelling agent (Comparative Example 6) containing xanthan gum and locust bean gum was re-added in the same manner as in Example 2-l. Although the gel did not melt due to the temperature, the decrease in hardness (gel strength) due to reheating was about 60%, which was inferior in temperature stability compared to Example 2-1.

  By using the gelling agent of the present invention, it is possible to prepare a gel-like food with little change in texture and physical properties due to reheating, and a texture suitable for those who have difficulty chewing and swallowing even after reheating Physical properties can be maintained. Since foods that should be eaten in a warm state can be provided in a warm state, it contributes to the variation of foods that are difficult for mastication and swallowing people to eat and the improvement of QOL.

Experimental Example 9 Preparation of gelled food 7 (green tea jelly)
The gelling agent prepared in Experimental Example 1 (Example 2) was mixed with green tea powder and sodium L-ascorbate to prepare a powder jelly mix. While stirring with a spatula (about 4 rotations / second), the powder jelly mix was added to hot water at 60 ° C. The mixture was further stirred for 30 seconds, filled in a container (pudding cup, diameter of about 6 cm, height of about 4 cm, capacity of 90 ml), and cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours to prepare a green tea jelly. The obtained green tea jelly has low adhesiveness and low water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Moreover, when it was prepared, no lumps or the like were produced, and no roughness or the like was felt when eating.

Gelling agent of prescription part example 2 1.80
Green tea powder (SD green tea extract powder No.17141 *) 0.18
L-sodium ascorbate 0.02
The total amount is 100 with hot water (60 ° C.).

Example 10 Preparation of gelled food 8 (chocolate flavored pudding)
The gelling agent (Example 2) prepared in Example 1 was powder-mixed with granulated sugar, milk protein concentrate, powdered oil and fat, cocoa powder, dextrin and chocolate flavor to prepare a powder jelly mix. While stirring with a spatula (about 4 rotations / second), the powder jelly mix was added to milk at 60 ° C. The mixture was further stirred for 30 seconds, filled in a container (pudding cup, diameter of about 6 cm, height of about 4 cm, capacity of 90 ml), and cooled at 5 ° C. for 2 hours to prepare a chocolate-flavored pudding. The obtained chocolate-flavored pudding has low adhesion and further water separation, and has a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. Moreover, when it was prepared, no lumps or the like were produced, and no roughness or the like was felt when eating.

Gelling agent of prescription part Example 2 2.0
Granulated sugar 10.0
Milk protein concentrate (Simpless 100 *) 5.7
Powdered oil (N Neo powder) 5.0
Cocoa Powder (Cocoa Powder F-23-T) 1.5
Dextrin 0.7
Chocolate flavor 0.1
(Sunfix * chocolate NO.2027F *)
The total amount is set to 100 with milk (60 ° C.).

Example 11 Evaluation of Tube Fluidity Regarding tube fluidity and adhesion during tube administration, a gel-like concentrated liquid food (Example 2-i) prepared using the gelling agent of the present invention and a commercially available sol-like form Rich liquid food (1.5 kcal / g,
Protein content 6.0 / 100g, fat content 3.3g / 100g, mineral content 660
mg / 100 ml). Specifically, Example 2-i and a commercially available product were combined with a silicon tube (
The tube was set in a horizontal state, the sample was pushed out with 5 ml of ion exchange water, and the remaining state in the tube was evaluated. The results are shown in FIG. 1 (Example 2-i) and FIG. 2 (commercially available product).

  From FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the gel-like concentrated liquid food prepared using the gelling agent of the present invention (FIG. 1) has less residue than the commercially available sol-like concentrated liquid food (FIG. 2), and the tube flow Excellent in adhesion and adhesion (adhesion prevention). By using the gelling agent of the present invention, a concentrated liquid food for tube administration excellent in operability (easy to be injected) and hygiene can be prepared.

  By using the gelling agent of the present invention, the melting temperature of the gelling agent such as 50 to 60 ° C. is relatively low, but it can be dissolved at a temperature at which it can be directly eaten and eaten, and then a special cooling step. A gel-like food having a texture and physical properties suitable for eating by those who have difficulty chewing / swallowing can be prepared simply by leaving it to stand at room temperature and cooling without going through. Furthermore, by granulating (granulating), it can be easily dispersed and dissolved even by gentle stirring such as manual stirring. The prepared gel-like food has good shape retention without dissolving even when re-heated to about 60 ° C., so that it can provide a gel-like food for those with difficulty in chewing / swallowing that can be eaten in a warm state . Moreover, it can be applied to various liquid foods and is highly versatile.

After injecting the gel-like concentrated liquid food prepared using the gelling agent of Example 2-i into a silicon tube (caliber 8 mm), setting the tube in a horizontal state, and extruding the sample with 5 ml of ion-exchanged water It is a state of the tube. A commercially available sol-like concentrated liquid food is injected into a silicon tube (caliber 8 mm), the tube is set in a horizontal state, and the sample is extruded with 5 ml of ion exchange water.

Claims (6)

A gelling agent for preparing a gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing, comprising a readily soluble agar and a guar gum having a weight average molecular weight of 1.5 × 10 ⁶ g / mol or more. The gelling agent is characterized in that the content of the guar gum is 60 to 700% by mass.   The gelling agent according to claim 1, further comprising xanthan gum and / or native gellan gum.   The gelling agent according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one binder selected from dextrin, starch and saccharide.   The gelling agent according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gelling agent is granulated.   A gel food for persons with difficulty in chewing / swallowing prepared by adding the gelling agent according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to a liquid food. The liquid food is a gel-like food for a chewable / swallowing person according to claim 5, wherein the liquid food satisfies at least one of the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) The pH is in the range of 2-5.
(2) Mineral content is 0.01-10 mass% with respect to liquid food whole quantity.
(3) The fat content is 0.1 to 50% by mass with respect to the total amount of liquid food.
(4) Protein content is 0.1-20 mass% with respect to liquid food whole quantity.

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