JP2013042757A - Apparatus for manufacturing food raw material and processed food - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for manufacturing food raw materials, and processed food.SOLUTION: To manufacture food raw materials from plant-derived edible grains, the plant-derived edible grains are immersed in slightly acidic electrolysis water. Within the period until the plant-derived edible grains soften, washing is performed as the slightly acidic electrolysis water is changed and as air is supplied a plurality of times. The plant-derived processed food manufactured using the raw food materials is either preserved in a water tank filled with slightly acidic electrolysis water so that the food is immersed in the slightly acidic electrolysis water, or packed in a pack filled with slightly acidic electrolysis water.

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus and a processed food for manufacturing a food raw material, and more particularly to a manufacturing apparatus and a processed food for a food raw material using slightly acidic electrolyzed water.

  Soy food is a common ancient food. There are a wide variety of soy foods, and tofu, yuba, and okara are known. Among these soy foods, tofu is a widely known food. The traditional general manufacturing method of tofu is to first simmer soybeans soaked in water to make boiled cucumbers. Silken tofu is produced by adding a coagulant (nigari) to soy milk obtained by squeezing this boiled rice and coagulating it in a mold box. Cotton tofu is produced by placing a cotton cloth in a perforated mold box, crushing the silken tofu, compressing it and draining the water. Each tofu produced is then removed from the mold and exposed to water to remove excess bittern and lye, and in many cases stored in water. The tofu made by this traditional method is cut one by one and sold in stores, packed in water-filled packs, and sold to grocery stores such as supermarkets.

  In recent years, tofu called filled tofu suitable for mass production by mechanization has been distributed in the market. Filled tofu is the same as the tofu described above until the boiled tofu is produced, but once the soy milk obtained by squeezing the boiled ku is cooled, filled into a container together with a coagulant and sealed, Manufactured by heating and solidifying.

  Filled tofu is heated after being sealed, so that it is sterilized during that time and is excellent in preservability. However, since the crushing process performed when manufacturing cotton tofu cannot be performed, filling tofu is limited to silk-cured tofu, and because it is not possible to remove excess bittern and lye juice by exposure to water, The flavor was inferior to cut tofu.

  On the other hand, traditional tofu has only a storage period of about two days from production, and the short storage period has become a barrier to distribution. Therefore, a boil-cool process in which commercially available tofu is packed and then sterilized by high-temperature steam and then the heated product is cooled is often employed in the manufacturing process. While this boil-cooling process improved the preservability of tofu, there was a problem that the tofu was stood up by heating and a problem that the flavor was lowered. Furthermore, since the boil cool tank itself is expensive and uses heavy oil during operation, it is not excellent in terms of production cost.

  Incidentally, in recent years, so-called slightly acidic electrolyzed water containing effective chlorine and having a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 has attracted attention. For example, in an international application (international application number PCT / JP2010 / 003928) and Japanese Patent No. 4712915 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-504669) (Patent Document 1), an apparatus for producing slightly acidic electrolyzed water and electrolysis that can be used therefor The tank is listed. In the present specification, the term “slightly acidic electrolyzed water” refers to food additives, June 10, 2002, as defined in Official Gazette No. 3378, pH: 5.0 to 6.5, Effective chlorine concentration: An aqueous solution in the range of 10 to 30 mg / L.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an electrolysis apparatus 400 for producing slightly acidic electrolyzed water described in Patent Document 1. The manufacturing method of slightly acidic electrolyzed water is demonstrated using this figure. The electrolyzer 400 includes an electrolyzer 410 and is controlled by a controller 432. The dilution water is introduced into the dilution water flow path provided in the electrolytic cell 410 via the electromagnetic valve 420, the flow switch 421, the constant flow valve 422, and the check valve 423 installed in the dilution water flow path 428.

  The dilute hydrochloric acid is sucked in a predetermined amount from the dilute hydrochloric acid tank 424 by the dilute hydrochloric acid pump 425 and supplied to the storage section disposed in the lower part of the electrolytic cell 410, and after the pressure and flow rate are stabilized, the electrode stack 412 of the electrolytic cell 410 is stabilized. Introduced in. A DC current is applied to the electrode stack 412 from the DC power source 431, and the diluted hydrochloric acid flowing between the plate electrodes constituting the electrode stack 412 is electrolyzed. A current sensor 430 is installed on the power supply line from the DC power supply 431 to the electrolytic cell 410, and the current value is constantly monitored.

  The electrolytic solution generated by electrolysis in the electrolytic bath 410 is discharged from the opening at the top of the electrolytic bath 410 to the dilution water flow path, mixed with the dilution water, and discharged to the flow path 429. The electrolyzed liquid that has flowed out passes through a static mixer 427 installed on the flow path, is further uniformly mixed, and is discharged as slightly acidic electrolyzed water.

  The slightly acidic electrolyzed water produced as described above has high oxidizing ability because it contains molecular hypochlorous acid produced by electrolysis of a chlorine-containing composition as an oxidizing product. . This high oxidizing ability is used as high-functional water for sterilization, sterilization, deodorization, decolorization, hand washing, face washing and the like.

PCT / JP2010 / 003928

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems in the prior art, and the present invention uses a slightly acidic electrolyzed water in the production process of tofu, thereby reducing the standing and flavor of the tofu produced. An object of the present invention is to provide a food raw material production apparatus and a processed food for preventing tofu and producing tofu excellent in storage stability at a lower cost.

  As a result of intensive investigations, the present inventor has obtained a slightly acidic electrolysis in water for swelling soybean, water for removing excess bittern and lye from tofu, and water for storing tofu in water. The inventors have found that the use of water can improve the storage stability and cost problems of traditional tofu and have reached the present invention.

  That is, in the present invention, when soybean is moistened, it is immersed in slightly acidic electrolyzed water and swollen with aeration washing to produce swollen soybean as a food raw material. This swollen soy beans are cooked to produce boiled cucumbers. Add bittern to the soy milk obtained by squeezing boiled rice and expose the tofu solidified in the mold box to slightly acidic electrolyzed water to remove excess bittern and lye. Thereafter, in the present invention, tofu exposed to slightly acidic electrolyzed water is cut and stored in a water tank filled with slightly acidic electrolyzed water, or packed in a pack filled with slightly acidic electrolyzed water.

  The tofu produced according to the present invention is excellent in preservability due to the bactericidal effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water, and is not subjected to heat treatment after packing, so compared to tofu produced using the boil cool process, It is possible to produce tofu with no deterioration of standing or flavor. Moreover, since an expensive boil cool tank becomes unnecessary and the heavy oil for operating a boil cool tank becomes unnecessary, tofu can be manufactured at a lower cost.

Schematic of the manufacturing apparatus 100 of the food raw material of this embodiment. The flowchart 200 of the manufacturing process of a food raw material. Schematic of the preservation | save apparatus 300 and the package 340 used for the preservation | save method of the plant-derived processed food of this embodiment. Schematic of the electrolyzer 400 for manufacturing slightly acidic electrolyzed water.

  Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated with embodiment, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned later. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a food raw material manufacturing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. In the present embodiment, as an example of the food raw material, soybean used for the production of tofu, which is a plant-derived food, will be described. The production apparatus 100 includes a slightly acidic electrolyzed water production apparatus 110, a water storage tank 120, and a pump 130. In the water storage tank 120, the slightly acidic electrolyzed water produced by the slightly acidic electrolyzed water production apparatus 110 is stored. The pump 130 is used to pump out slightly acidic electrolyzed water stored in the water storage tank 120 in response to an instruction from the control device 190. Further, the pump 130 is provided with a pipe 140 extending through an electromagnetic valve 142, and slightly acidic electrolyzed water is appropriately supplied to a dipping tank 150 described later in order to wash and swell raw soybeans.

  Further, the manufacturing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 includes an immersion tank 150, a blower 160, and a level switch 170. The dipping tank 150 has a function of moistening the soybean 180 as a raw material for producing tofu and swelling it with water. In the present embodiment, the immersion tank 150 also has a function of performing aeration cleaning with slightly acidic electrolyzed water supplied from the water storage tank 120 while swelling the soybean 180.

  The blower 160 is used to supply aeration air into the immersion tank 150, and an air supply line 162 extending from the blower 160 through the electromagnetic valve 164 is stored in the immersion tank 150. It is extended to a position where it can be aerated against water. During the aeration cleaning, the soybean 180 moves up and down in the immersion tank 150 by the air supplied from the blower 160, and as a result, the cleaning and sterilizing effect during the swelling period can be remarkably enhanced. The level switch 170 is provided for detecting that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water 154 is supplied to the set level in the immersion tank 150 and notifying the control device 190. The level switch 170 can be configured as a set of three-level sensors, for example, so that the depth position of the immersion tank 150 can be set.

  The dip tank 150 is further provided with a drain valve 152. The drain valve 152 drains the washed slightly acidic electrolyzed water after the slightly acidic electrolyzed water in the immersion tank 150 has washed the raw material soybeans for an appropriate time, and stores the fresh slightly acidic electrolyzed water again so that the raw material soybeans are sufficient. It is used to enable multiple times of swelling and aeration cleaning until it swells.

  Note that the pump 130, the electromagnetic valve 142, the drain valve 152, the blower 160, and the electromagnetic valve 164 constituting the manufacturing apparatus 100 are connected to the control device 190 and controlled by notification from the level switch 170 and time. Further, the pipe 140 extending from the pump 130 to the immersion tank 150 and the air supply line 162 extending from the blower 160 to the immersion tank 150 may be branched and connected to other tanks. The control device 190 can be controlled so that the electromagnetic valve provided in the air supply line can be designated and opened.

  In the present embodiment, for example, an apparatus manufactured by the slightly acidic electrolyzed water research institute can be used as the slightly acidic electrolyzed water production apparatus 110, and SL-35F, blower 160 manufactured by Elepon Chemical Machinery Co., Ltd. can be used as the pump 130. As the VFZ 401A manufactured by Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., and the level switch 170, PS-3S manufactured by OMRON Corporation can be used.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart 200 of a process for manufacturing swollen soybeans, which are food raw materials, using the manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the food raw material manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The manufacturing process of FIG. 2 starts from step S201, and aeration cleaning, sterilization, and swelling of soybean are performed, and the process ends in step S210.

  In step S201, the control device 190 operates the pump 130, and the slightly acidic electrolyzed water stored in the water storage tank 120 is pumped out. Subsequently, the electromagnetic valve 142 is opened, and the slightly acidic electrolyzed water pumped out is injected into the soaking tank 150 containing soybean 180 through the pipe 140. When the level switch 170 detects that slightly acidic electrolyzed water has been injected to the amount necessary for cleaning, the control device 190 receives the notification, stops the pump 130, closes the solenoid valve 142, and stops water injection. Is done.

  In step S <b> 202, the control device 190 operates the blower 160 and opens the electromagnetic valve 164 provided in the air supply line 162. In the immersion tank 150, the soybean 180 is sterilized and washed while aeration is performed for about 5 minutes. After the soybean 180 is sterilized and washed, the blower 160 is stopped and the solenoid valve 164 is closed. In step S203, the drain valve 152 of the immersion tank 150 is opened and the slightly acidic electrolyzed water is discharged.

  After completion of drainage, in step S <b> 204, the control device 190 closes the drain valve 152, subsequently operates the pump 130, opens the electromagnetic valve 142, and slightly acidic electrolyzed water is injected into the immersion tank 150. When the level switch 170 detects that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water has been injected up to the upper limit of the immersion tank 150, the control device 190 receives the notification, stops the pump 130, closes the electromagnetic valve 142, and stops water injection. Is done.

  In step S <b> 205, 1 to 3 hours and soybean 180 are immersed in the immersion tank 150. During this time, the swelling of soybean 180 is advanced without operating the blower. By this step, it is speculated that the sterilizing component of the slightly acidic electrolyzed water can attack the heat-resistant spore fungus that is said to exist between the epidermis and the fruit of soybean 180. When the soaking of the soybeans 180 is completed, in step S206, the soybeans 180 are sterilized and washed while aeration is performed for about 5 minutes as in the case of S202. Thereafter, in step S207, the drain valve 152 of the immersion tank 150 is opened, and the slightly acidic electrolyzed water is discharged.

  After the drainage is completed, in step S208, the slightly acidic electrolyzed water is injected again up to the upper limit of the immersion tank 150 as in S204. In step S209, the soybeans 180 are immersed without operating the blower until an appropriately set immersion time. When the immersion is completed, in step S210, the drain valve 152 of the immersion tank 150 is opened, and the slightly acidic electrolyzed water is discharged. The swollen soybeans left in the dip tank 150 are carried into a manufacturing plant and used as raw materials for various soybean foods such as tofu, soy milk, and okara.

  Although the manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing process of the food raw material of this invention shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 were demonstrated using soybean, the manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing process mentioned above are not only soybean but rice, wheat, corn, etc. Moisture in water such as main grains, millet such as millet, millet, millet, grains such as adzuki bean, kidney bean, peanut, grains such as buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, and potatoes such as potato, sweet potato, konjac It can be used for any vegetable edible grain that can be washed.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a storage device 300 and a package 340 that are used for the method of storing plant-derived processed food according to this embodiment. Both the plant-derived processed foods to be stored are tofu, and the storage device 300 will be described first. The storage device 300 includes a slightly acidic electrolyzed water production device 110, a water storage tank 120, and a water tank 310. In the water storage tank 120, the slightly acidic electrolyzed water produced by the slightly acidic electrolyzed water production apparatus 110 is stored as in FIG. In addition, the water storage tank 120 includes a slightly acidic electrolyzed water supply line 122 that extends to the water tank 310 through the cock 124. By opening the cock 124, the slightly acidic electrolyzed water stored in the water storage tank 120 is supplied to the water tank 310. Is done.

  The water tank 310 is used for storing the tofu 330 in the slightly acidic electrolyzed water 320, and can also be used for removing the tofu solidified in the mold box from the mold and exposing it to the slightly acidic electrolyzed water. At that time, since excess bittern and lye are discharged into the stored slightly acidic electrolyzed water 320, the water tank 310 has a drain valve so that it can be replaced with fresh slightly acidic electrolyzed water after the completion of water exposure. 312 is provided.

  Next, the package 340 will be described. The package 340 is obtained by filling the pack 342 with the tofu 344 taken out of the mold and exposed to the slightly acidic electrolyzed water, and filling it with the fresh slightly acidic electrolyzed water 343. The package 340 is hermetically sealed by covering the opening of the pack 342 with a protective film (not shown).

  The preservation | save form of the preservation | save apparatus 300 and the package 340 can be suitably selected with the sales method of tofu. For example, the tofu 330 stored in the water tank 310 can be directly taken out and sold over the counter, or the tofu can be stored in small portions in the package 340 and can be wholesaled to a grocery store such as a supermarket. In addition, since both the storage device 300 and the package 340 are stored so that the tofu is completely immersed in the slightly acidic electrolyzed water stored in the container, the adhesion of bacteria from the outside is prevented while being immersed. Is possible.

  The method for preserving the plant-derived processed food of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 has been described using tofu, but the method described above is not only for tofu, but also yuba, konjac, shirataki, pickles, noodles, canned foods, jelly, etc. It can be used for processed foods derived from any plant that can be stored in the water, such as desserts.

  Although the present invention has been described with the embodiment, the present invention will be described more specifically with the following examples. In addition, this invention is not limited to the Example mentioned later.

1. Bacterial inspection of food raw materials First, bacterial inspection was performed on swollen soybeans produced using the apparatus of FIG. The immersion tank used, the air supply line inserted into the tank, and the level switch were previously sterilized and washed using slightly acidic electrolyzed water. Sample A is swollen soybean (Example 1) processed in accordance with the flowchart 200 shown in FIG. 2, and Sample B is immersed in slightly acidic electrolyzed water without any aeration cleaning treatment. It is the swelling soybean (comparative example 1) manufactured only by. In the following, the bacteriological tests shown in the Examples were carried out by applying the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare supervising the Food Sanitation Inspection Guidelines Microorganisms (1990/2004) and the Food Sanitation Inspection Guidelines Supplement II Microorganisms (1996). The results are shown in Table 1 below.

  As shown in Table 1, in Example 1, sample A that had been subjected to aeration cleaning using slightly acidic electrolyzed water did not detect coliforms that could not be sterilized in the manufacturing process of sample B as Comparative Example 1. It was. In Example 1, the number of general viable bacteria was detected only about 1/1000 of that in Comparative Example 1. This indicates that the aeration washing in slightly acidic electrolyzed water performed in the production process of the swollen soybean of Example 1 has a high bactericidal effect against bacteria that survive in the soybean.

2. Bacterial inspection of plant-derived processed foods Next, in order to verify the preservability of silk tofu preserved using the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, bacterial inspection was performed on silk tofu after several days from storage. Sample C is silk tofu produced and stored using slightly acidic electrolyzed water (Example 2), sample D is silk tofu produced and stored using tap water (Comparative Example 2), After the water temperature was stored in a water tank set at 4 ° C., the inspection was performed. Detailed manufacturing methods and inspection results of both samples will be described in the following order.

First, the production of the silk tofu sample C will be described in detail while showing the results of a bacterial test performed during the production process. First, the instruments used from the production of swollen soybeans to storing the tofu in the storage device 300 of FIG. 3 were sterilized and washed using slightly acidic electrolyzed water. In order to confirm that the appliances are sufficiently sterilized, a mold box that solidifies tofu (tofu mold box), a cutter that cuts tofu (tofu cutter), and a water tank for water exposure (water tank for water exposure) Bacterial tests were performed on these three specimens. The test was carried out by wiping 100 cm ^{2 of} each specimen with a sterilized cotton swab moistened with sterilized phosphate buffered saline, adding phosphate buffered saline to 10 ml, and using the extracted solution as a sample solution. The results are shown in Table 2 below.

  As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that all three samples were sufficiently sterilized. Also, other instruments were sterilized and washed using slightly acidic electrolyzed water to produce tofu.

  The swelling soybean used as the raw material of the silken tofu was the same as that prepared for Sample A. This swollen soybean was ground with water to produce kure. As water to be added at this time, commercially available water (mineral water) was used instead of slightly acidic electrolyzed water. The produced kure was cooked to make boiled kure, and the boiled kure was squeezed into soy milk and okara. Since soybean milk and bittern are used for the production of tofu, the soymilk obtained here and the bittern used are subjected to a bacterial test. The results are shown in Table 3 below.

  As shown in Table 3, the test result of the obtained soymilk was the same result as the swollen soybean of Sample A. This indicates that the water added when grinding soybeans can be water that is particular to each tofu shop, not slightly acidic electrolyzed water. Moreover, it was confirmed that the bittern used was sufficiently small in number of bacteria.

  Subsequently, while the soy milk was hot, it was poured into a mold box, and bittern was added to solidify it. The produced silken tofu is taken out into a water tank containing slightly acidic electrolyzed water, and excess bittern and lye are removed and cut. The cut tofu was stored in the water tank 310 of the storage device 300 shown in FIG. 3, and used as Sample C (Example 2). The water tank used for the tofu storage device is sterilized and washed with slightly acidic electrolyzed water before use in the same way as other devices, and after washing, before storing the tofu by storing the slightly acidic electrolyzed water in the water tank. Bacteria testing was performed. The results are shown in Table 4 below.

  As shown in Table 4, no bacteria were detected from the slightly acidic electrolyzed water stored in the water tank. That is, it turned out that it can be used without a problem as a water tank for the storage device of the manufactured tofu.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the sample D silken tofu is demonstrated. The swollen soybean used as a raw material was produced by immersing a sufficiently washed soybean while exchanging tap water. Then, using the same method as Sample C, except that tap water is stored in a water tank for water exposure and a tank for preserving tofu, silk tofu is produced using the same bittern. Was designated as Sample D (Comparative Example 2). In addition, about the apparatus etc. which are used in a manufacturing process, it wash | cleaned using tap water.

  Bacteria test was conducted for several days on silk tofu produced by the method described above, and the results for samples C and D are shown in Tables 5 and 6 below, respectively. In addition, the 0th day in Table 6 has shown that it is the test | inspection performed about tofu immediately after a preservation | save start.

  As shown in Table 5 and Table 6, none of the samples were detected for the coliform group and E. coli. However, with regard to the number of general viable bacteria, it was confirmed that the sample C of Example 2 maintained a sufficiently low value of less than 300 / g from the storage start date to the 11th day. This was an experimental result showing that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water prevented the attachment of new bacteria to the sample C during the storage period, and further suppressed the growth of residual bacteria in the sample C.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a food raw material is manufactured by aeration washing while moisturizing edible plant-derived grains in slightly acidic electrolyzed water, and derived from a plant manufactured using the food raw material Food raw material manufacturing equipment that can produce processed foods derived from plants that are excellent in preservability and that do not require heat sterilization after packing, by storing processed foods in slightly acidic electrolyzed water at a lower cost And processed foods are provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Slightly acidic electrolyzed water production apparatus, 120 ... Water storage tank, 122 ... Slightly acidic electrolyzed water supply line, 124 ... Cock, 130 ... Pump, 140 ... Piping, 142, 164, 420 ... Solenoid valve, 150 ... Immersion tank, 152 312, drain valve, 154, 320, 343 slightly acidic electrolyzed water, 160, blower, 162, air supply line, 170, level switch, 180, soybean, 190, 432, control device, 300, storage device, 310, etc. Water tank, 330, 344, tofu, 340, package, 342, pack, 410, electrolytic tank, 412, electrode stack, 421, flow switch, 422, constant flow valve, 423, check valve, 424, dilute hydrochloric acid tank, 425, dilute hydrochloric acid Pump, 427 ... Static mixer, 428 ... Dilution water channel, 429 ... Channel, 430 ... Current sensor, 31 ‥ DC power supply

Claims (4)

A production apparatus for producing food ingredients by aeration washing while moistening vegetable edible grains in slightly acidic electrolyzed water,
A control device for controlling aeration washing of the vegetable edible grains;
An immersion tank that is supplied with the slightly acidic electrolyzed water and immerses the vegetable edible grains;
A level switch for detecting that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water is supplied to a set level of the immersion tank and notifying the control device;
In response to the notification, the control device includes a period during which air is not supplied into the slightly acidic electrolyzed water, and a blower that is operated as a period during which air is supplied to the slightly acidic electrolyzed water and aerated. Raw material manufacturing equipment.   The controller further discharges the slightly acidic electrolyzed water after cleaning in the immersion tank after the aeration cleaning for moistening the vegetable edible grains is finished, and instructs the supply of the slightly acidic electrolyzed water again. The apparatus for producing food raw materials according to claim 1.   The said slightly acidic electrolyzed water is hypochlorous acid water of pH 5.0-6.5 obtained by electrolyzing dilute hydrochloric acid with a non-diaphragm electrolytic cell, and diluting electrolyte solution. Food raw material manufacturing equipment.   The processed food derived from the vegetable edible grain, which is packed with the processed food prepared by processing the vegetable edible grain produced by the production apparatus of claims 1 to 3 in a slightly acidic electrolyzed water.