JP2023055891A - Packed soft food product - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packed soft food product capable of reducing a load on caring for eating.

SOLUTION: A packed soft food product 1 comprises: a container body 11 having an opening and a ratio D/R of a depth D to an opening bore diameter R of 0.35-0.56; a first food product 12 comprising a molded first soft food product 121 or the first soft food product and a first seasoning liquid 122, and stored in the container body 11; and a lid body 13 for closing the opening. The packed soft food product is for eating the first food product together with a second food product by putting the second food product into the container body in which the first food product is stored. The second food product comprises a second soft food product having hardness of 5×10⁴ N/m² or less, a second seasoning liquid having viscosity of 0.5-10.0 Pa s, or the second soft food product and the second seasoning liquid, or is rice gruel or contains soybean curd. A ratio of V1/V2 of volume V1 of the first food product 12 to a volume V2 of the container body 11 is 0.7 or less.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to containerized soft food.

In recent years, soft foods have been distributed as nursing care foods for elderly people who have difficulty in chewing and swallowing. A soft food product is, for example, a solid food product that has been ground and reformed by hardening into a desired shape. Such soft foods are soft and easy to swallow.

JP-A-11-221029

Some of the soft foods described above are distributed in the form of container-packed soft foods that are housed in a cup-shaped container body together with a seasoning liquid, and the opening of the container body is closed with a lid. Such soft foods and liquid seasonings can be eaten after being transferred from the container body to another container such as a plate, or the container body containing them can be used as tableware and eaten. .

In the field of using the container-packed soft food, a caregiver may scoop up the soft food with a spoon and guide it into the mouth of the eater. In this case, the caregiver should allow the eater to eat, for example, a main dish or side dish consisting of a soft food and a seasoning liquid, and a staple food such as porridge, alternately, or mixed together. There are many.

In the former case, it is necessary to use one or more containers for the main dish or the side dish and a container for the staple food, which imposes a heavy burden on the caregiver. Also, in the latter case, a container for mixing the main dish or the side dish and the staple food is required, which imposes a heavy burden on the caregiver.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container-packaged soft food that can reduce the burden of assisting eating.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a container body having an opening and a ratio D/R of depth D to opening diameter R in the range of 0.35 to 0.56, and a molded first soft food Alternatively, the first food comprising the first soft food and the first seasoning liquid and contained in the container body, and a lid closing the opening, containing the first food A container-packed soft food for putting a second food into a container body and eating the first food together with the second food, wherein the second food has a concentration of 5 × 10 ⁴ N/m ² or less. Consisting of a second soft food having hardness, consisting of a second seasoning liquid having a viscosity of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa s, or consisting of the second soft food and the second seasoning liquid, Alternatively, there is provided a container-packaged soft food that is porridge or contains tofu and has a ratio V1/V2 between the volume V1 of the first food and the volume V2 of the container body of 0.7 or less.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the second food consists of a second soft food having a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less, or has a viscosity of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa·s. Provided is a packaged soft food product according to the aspect described above, which comprises a second seasoning liquid, or comprises the second soft food and the second seasoning liquid.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the packaged soft food according to any of the aspects above, wherein the second food is porridge.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the packaged soft food according to any one of the aspects above, wherein the second food contains tofu.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the container-packed soft food according to any of the aspects above, wherein the ratio V1/V2 is 0.4 or more.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the container-packaged soft food according to any of the aspects above, wherein the first soft food has a hardness of 5×10 ⁵ N/m ² or less.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the first food comprises the first soft food and the first seasoning liquid, and the first seasoning liquid has a viscosity of 0.5 to 20.0 Pa·s. A packaged soft food product according to any of the above aspects is provided.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the container-packed soft food is placed on the side wall of the container body so that the opening is positioned above the bottom of the container body and the bottom is horizontal. In some cases, a packaged soft food product according to any of the above sides is provided with an indicator positioned between the top surface of the first food product and the opening.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the container-packed soft food according to the above aspect, wherein the indicator includes a linear portion extending in a direction parallel to the bottom portion.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the side wall portion of the container main body is provided with a guideline for the amount of the second food to be introduced when the second food is introduced into the container main body containing the first food. A container-packed soft food product according to any of the above aspects provided with an indicator is provided.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the container-packed soft food according to the above aspect, the type of the second food, the amount of the second food input indicated by the indicator, and the amount of the second food to be input A containerized soft food with a reference table is provided, which includes a reference table showing the relationship between the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients or the total relationship between the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients and the amount of heat or ingredients of the first food.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the container-packed soft food which can reduce the burden of assistance of eating is provided.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a container-packed soft food product according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a top view schematically showing a container body included in the packaged soft food product shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container main body shown in FIG. 2 along line III-III. The top view which shows an example of the container-packed food which can be distribute|circulated in combination with the container-packed soft food shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows roughly an example of the usage form of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows roughly the other example of the usage form of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows roughly the other example of the usage form of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Elements having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a packaged soft food product according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a top view schematically showing a container body included in the packaged soft food product shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container body shown in FIG. 2 along line III-III.

The container-packed soft food 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a container body 11 , a first food 12 and a lid 13 . In FIG. 1, the container-packed soft food 1 is in a state in which the opening of the container body 11 is positioned above a bottom portion 111, which will be described later, and the bottom portion 111 is placed horizontally.

The container-packed soft food 1 is preferably a container-packed food that can be stored without freezing, and more preferably can be stored at room temperature. For example, when eating the first food 12, the container-packed soft food 1 heats the first food 12 contained in the container body 11 by microwave heating, by heating with superheated steam, or by boiling in hot water. It is to be heated. The packaged soft food 1 may be eaten without heating the first food 12 .

As will be described in detail later, when the first food 12 is eaten, the container body 11 of the container-packed soft food 1 can be used as tableware. Further, in this container-packed soft food product 1 , a second food product different from the first food product 12 can be put into the container body 11 containing the first food product 12 .

The container body 11 has an opening. The container body 11 has a cup shape here. The container body 11 may have other shapes such as bowl shapes and boat tray shapes.

The container body 11 is, for example, a molded product. The container main body 11 has, for example, a shape retainability that retains its shape before and after being filled with the first food 12 .

The container body 11 is made of plastic, for example. The material of the container body 11 may be metal, glass, ceramic, or waterproof paper. The container body 11 may include one or more layers made of an inorganic substance or an organic substance on its inner surface. The container body 11 may include a printed layer and a protective layer for protecting the printed layer on its outer surface. When the first food 12 is microwave-heated while it is in the container body 11, the container body 11 preferably does not contain a metal layer.

The container body 11 is, according to one example, opaque. The container body 11 may contain a transparent portion. When the container body 11 includes a transparent portion, indicators 114a and 114b, which will be described later, can be provided, for example, on the outer surface of the container body 11 at positions where the transparent portion is provided.

The container body 11 includes a bottom portion 111, a side wall portion 112, and a flange portion 113, as shown in FIGS.

The bottom portion 111 has a disc shape with a central portion protruding toward the opening side of the container body 11 . The central portion of the bottom portion 111 does not have to protrude toward the opening. Also, the shape of the bottom portion 111 when viewed in the thickness direction may be a shape other than a circle, such as an ellipse, an oval, and polygons such as squares and rectangles. When the bottom 111 has a polygonal shape when viewed in the thickness direction, each corner is preferably rounded.

The side wall portion 112 extends upward from the edge of the bottom portion 111 . An upper end of the side wall portion 112 forms an opening of the container body 11 . A space surrounded by the side wall portion 112 and the bottom portion 111 expands in diameter from the bottom portion 111 toward the opening. This space may have a substantially constant diameter from the bottom 111 to the opening.

The side wall portion 112 is provided with indicators 114a and 114b. The indicators 114a and 114b serve as a measure of the amount of the second food item to be added to the container body 11 containing the first food item 12 when the second food item (to be described later) is added.

Indicators 114a and 114b are provided on side wall 112 so as to be positioned between the top surface of first food 12 and the opening when container-packed soft food 1 is placed as shown in FIG. Indicators 114a and 114b are spaced from the top surface and opening of first food product 12 and from each other.

Each of the indicators 114 a and 114 b is a linear portion extending in a direction parallel to the bottom portion 111 . According to one example, the indicators 114a and 114b are boundaries between regions where the inclination angle is constant or continuously changing by changing the inclination angle of the inner surface of the side wall 112 discontinuously. be. The indicators 114a and 114b may be grooves, linear protrusions, or steps provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 112 . The indicators 114a and 114b may also be provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 112 by printing. The indicators 114a and 114b may be provided on the outer surface of the side wall 112 when the side wall 112 is transparent to visible light.

Each of indicators 114 a and 114 b extends around the entire inner circumference of side wall portion 112 . Each of indicators 114a and 114b may extend only part of the inner circumference of sidewall 112 and may have the shape of a line with discontinuities.

Each of indicators 114a and 114b may have a shape other than a line. For example, each of indicators 114a and 114b may be a hemispherical, pyramidal, conical, prismatic, or cylindrical recess or protrusion. Alternatively, each of the indicators 114a and 114b may be recesses or protrusions displaying letters or symbols.

Alternatively, each of indicators 114a and 114b may be a combination of two or more of the above. For example, each of the indicators 114a and 114b may include a combination of grooves, linear protrusions, or steps, and recesses or protrusions that display characters or symbols.

Here, side wall 112 is provided with two indicators 114a and 114b. Side wall 112 may omit one of indicators 114a and 114b. In addition to the indicators 114a and 114b, the side wall 112 may be further provided with one or more indicators.

The flange portion 113 extends outward from the upper end of the side wall portion 112 . The flange portion 113 has a step near its outer edge that makes the height of the outer edge lower than the height of the other portions. The flange portion 113 may not have a step.

The flange portion 113 here has a square shape with rounded corners and an opening in the center. The flange portion 113 may have other shapes, such as a circular shape with an opening in the center.

When housing the first food 12 for one person in the container body 11, the volume V2 of the container body 11 is preferably in the range of 170 to 250 mL.

Moreover, as will be described later, the container body 11 can be used as tableware. Considering such a usage pattern, the ratio D/R of the depth D of the container body 11 to the opening diameter R of the container body 11 is preferably in the range of 0.25 to 0.8, and preferably 0.35. It is more preferably in the range of 0.56 to 0.56. When the ratio D/R is small, it is easy to scoop the first food 12 and the second food with a spoon. However, if the ratio D/R is excessively small, it becomes difficult to adjust the input amount of the second food using the indicators 114a and 114b with high accuracy.

Here, the opening diameter R of the container body 11 is the diameter of a circle having the same area as the opening of the container body 11 . The depth D of the container body 11 is the maximum depth of the container body 11 , that is, the distance from the lowest region of the upper surface of the bottom portion 111 to the opening of the container body 11 .

The lid 13 closes the opening of the container body 11 . The lid 13 constitutes a container together with the container body 11 .

The lid 13 is here a film adhered to the upper surface of the flange portion 113 . Such a lid 13 includes, for example, a base material made of polymer, paper, or a combination thereof, an adhesive layer for bonding the lid 13 to the upper surface of the flange portion 113, and a gas barrier layer interposed therebetween. including. The lid 13 may further include a printed layer and a protective layer on its upper surface. When microwave heating is performed while the first food 12 is placed in a container composed of the container body 11 and the lid 13, the lid 13 preferably does not contain a metal layer.

The lid 13 may not be a film adhered to the upper surface of the flange portion 113 . For example, the lid 13 may close the opening of the container body 11 by fitting.

The first food 12 is housed inside the container body 11 . A first food item 12 for one person is accommodated in the container body 11 .

First food 12 includes first soft food 121 and first seasoning liquid 122 .
The first soft food 121 is, for example, mousse-like food. The first soft food 121 may be made by solidifying a protein-containing liquid, such as pudding, using heat denaturation of the protein. Alternatively, the first soft food 121 may be a liquid solidified with a gelling agent, such as jelly and apricot kernel tofu.

A mousse-like food is a food obtained by grinding a solid food, mixing it with a coagulant or the like, and then molding the mixture.

A solid food product is, for example, an animal food product, a vegetable food product, or a combination thereof. Solid foods can include meats, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, seaweeds, fruits, nuts, grains, or two or more thereof. The solid food may be food before cooking or may be food that has been cooked. In the latter case, the solid food may further contain one or more of oils and fats and seasonings such as sugar and salt.

Solid foods are preferably ground until the particle size becomes sufficiently small. The smaller the particle size, the smoother the mouthfeel of the first soft food 121 becomes. The particle size of the ground food is preferably 2.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.1 mm or less. Here, the "particle size" is a value obtained by measuring the particle size distribution by a laser diffraction/scattering method.

A coagulant is, for example, a protein that is thermally denatured and irreversibly solidified by heating. Such proteins are, for example, in the form of an aqueous solution and mixed with the mashed food. For example, egg white can be used as the protein or its aqueous solution. The protein is preferably added so that the concentration in the first soft food 121 is in the range of 0.1 to 25% by mass, more preferably in the range of 1 to 15% by mass. .

The mixture of the mashed food and the coagulant or the like is formed, for example, into a shape similar to the food before mashing or the food whose taste is to be reproduced by the first soft food 121 . For example, the mixture is placed in a mold and heated. This heating is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range of 50 to 130°C, more preferably in the range of 60 to 130°C, even more preferably in the range of 60 to 130°C. This causes heat denaturation of the proteins and coagulates the mixture.

According to one example, the first food 12 is a universal design food provided as a food for people with difficulty swallowing or a food for people with difficulty chewing. Universal design hoods are classified into four categories, ie, "easily chewable", "can be crushed with gums", "can be crushed with tongue", and "no need to chew", according to hardness and the like. Foods classified as "easily chewable" are required to have a hardness of 5×10 ⁵ N/m ² or less, and foods classified as "crustable with gums" are required to have a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ^{2 .} 2×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less for foods classified as “can be crushed with tongue”; is required to be 5×10 ³ N/m ² or less.

The first soft food 121 preferably has a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less. The first soft food 121 may have a hardness of 5×10 ³ N/m ² or less.

The first soft food 121 preferably has a hardness of 2×10 ³ N/m ² or more. If the first soft food 121 is made too soft, it becomes difficult for the first soft food 121 to maintain its shape. The first soft food 121 may have a hardness of 1×10 ⁴ N/m ² or more.

The hardness of soft foods is measured by the following method.
As a measuring device, a device capable of measuring the compressive stress of a substance by linear motion is used. A container with a diameter of 40 mm is filled with a sample to a height of 15 mm, and is compressed with a plunger with a diameter of 20 mm to measure the compressive stress. This measurement is performed at a temperature of 20±2° C., a compression rate of 10 mm/sec, and a clearance between the bottom surface of the container and the plunger of 5 mm. In cases such as when the sample has an irregular shape, the clearance may be measured as 30% of the thickness of the sample. This measurement is performed 5 times, and the average of the 3 values excluding the maximum and minimum values is taken as the measured value.

First seasoning liquid 122 is mixed with first soft food 121 . The first seasoning liquid 122 is a liquid containing water, a seasoning, an extract of an animal food material, an extract of a vegetable food material, or a combination thereof. The first seasoning liquid 122 is, for example, a solution, a dispersion such as a sol, or a combination thereof.

The first seasoning liquid 122 may further include a thickening agent. Examples of thickeners include, but are not limited to, guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, tara gum, locust bean gum, curdlan, sodium alginate, psyllium seed gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, karaya gum. , Chitin, Chitosan, Arabinogalactan, Welan Gum, Sesbania Gum, Aloe Vera Extract, Dalman Resin, Gadigum, Elemi Resin, Dextran, Oligoglucosamine, Tororo Aoi, Microfibrous Cellulose, Tragacanth Gum, Bacillus Natto Gum, Fukuronori Extract, Furcelleran, Cassia gum, macrohomopsis gum, pullulan, aloe vera extract, peach resin, aureobasidium broth, guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate, rhamsan gum, glucosamine, levan, Agrobacterium succinoculcan, yeast cell membrane, linseed gum, mugwort seed gum, almonds gum, sclero gum, or two or more thereof.

Preferably, the thickening agent is guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, carboxymethylcellulose, tara gum, locust bean gum, sodium alginate, psyllium seed gum, gum arabic, karaya gum, welan gum, tragacanth gum, natto yeast gum, furcelleran, cassia gum, peach resin. , guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate, rhamzan gum, Agrobacterium succinoculican, or two or more thereof.

More preferably, the thickening agent is guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, carboxymethylcellulose, tara gum, locust bean gum, sodium alginate, psyllium seed gum, welan gum, tragacanth gum, rhamsan gum, Agrobacterium succinoculican, or two or more thereof. is.

As a thickener, it is preferable to use a combination of two or more types having different properties. For example, a thickener that exhibits excellent thermal stability in terms of thickening performance and a thickener that hardly exhibits pseudoplastic properties may be combined.

Those exhibiting excellent thermal stability with respect to thickening performance are less likely to break even at temperatures exceeding 100°C. Therefore, those exhibiting excellent thermal stability with respect to thickening performance maintain high thickening performance even after undergoing the heating step in the production of the container-packaged soft food 1 .

Here, the thermal stability related to thickening performance is performance related to the difference between the viscosity before heating and the viscosity after cooling to room temperature after heating. For example, when retort sterilization is performed at 120 ° C. for 30 seconds at the time of manufacturing the container-packed soft food 1, if the viscosity at room temperature before retort sterilization and the viscosity at room temperature after retort sterilization are equal, heat It has excellent stability. Conversely, if the viscosity at room temperature after retort sterilization is lower than the viscosity at room temperature before retort sterilization, the thermal stability is low.

On the other hand, those that are difficult to exhibit pseudoplastic properties are unlikely to undergo structural changes or changes in molecular arrangement when external force is applied, and therefore are unlikely to undergo changes in viscosity. For example, when the second food put into the container main body 11 containing the first food 12 is porridge, and when the porridge causes syneresis, the rotational viscosity It mixes quickly with free water compared to those with similar viscosities on the meter and those that tend to exhibit pseudoplastic properties.

Therefore, according to the above combination, the first seasoning liquid 122 exhibits high viscosity when the packaged soft food 1 is transported or when the first food 12 is heated for eating. The above combination is advantageous in preventing the production of a low-viscosity liquid due to syneresis when the second food is porridge, for example.

Xanthan gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, welan gum, guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate, Agrobacterium succinoculcan, or two or more thereof exhibiting excellent thermal stability with respect to thickening performance are preferred.

Guar gum, tamarind gum, carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, psyllium seed gum, or two or more thereof are preferable as those that hardly exhibit pseudoplastic properties.

The ratio of the amount of the thickener that does not easily exhibit pseudoplastic properties to the total amount of the thickener that exhibits excellent thermal stability and the amount of the thickener that does not exhibit pseudoplastic properties easily is preferably in the range of 5 to 50% by mass, more preferably in the range of 10 to 30% by mass. By increasing this ratio, when the second food is porridge, the effect of suppressing the production of a low-viscosity liquid due to syneresis increases. However, if this ratio is increased, the decrease in the viscosity of the first seasoning liquid 122 due to the heating of the first food 12 increases.

According to one example, the first seasoning liquid 122 includes xanthan gum and guar gum as thickening agents. Also, according to one example, the concentration of the thickening agent in the first food product 12 is in the range of 0.16 to 1.16% by mass.

The first seasoning liquid 122 may further contain a gelling agent. Gelling agents are, for example, pectin, gelatin, agar, or two or more thereof. The concentration of the gelling agent in first seasoning liquid 122 is preferably 0.2% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less.

The first seasoning liquid 122 preferably has a viscosity in the range of 0.5 to 20.0 Pa s, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa s, and 1.5 to 10.0 Pa s. It is more preferably in the range of 2.0 Pa·s. Solutions or sols in the categories "can be crushed with the tongue" and "do not need to be chewed" are required to have a viscosity of 1500 mPa·s or more. In addition, the sol of the category “can be crushed with the tongue” is required to have a hardness of 1×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less. In addition, a sol classified as "not chewable" is required to have a hardness of 3×10 ³ N/m ² or less.

If the viscosity of the first seasoning liquid 122 is sufficiently high, the vibration of the first soft food 121 is alleviated during transportation of the container-packed soft food 1 or the like. Moreover, if the viscosity of the first seasoning liquid 122 is sufficiently high, the movement of the first soft food 121 within the container body 11 is impeded, and the contact of the first soft food 121 with the inner surface of the container and the first soft food 121 are prevented. contact is less likely to occur. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the first soft food 121 to lose its shape due to these factors.

The viscosity of the seasoning liquid was measured using a B-type rotational viscometer at a measurement temperature of 20±2° C., rotating the M3 rotor at 12 rpm, reading the reading after 2 minutes, and multiplying the value by the corresponding count. is expressed in Pa·s.

The ratio V1 _L /V1 _S between the volume V1 _L of the first seasoning liquid 122 and the volume V1 _S of the first soft food 121 is preferably in the range of 1/4 to 1, and 2/5 to 4/5. is more preferably within the range of The first seasoning liquid 122 facilitates swallowing of the first soft food 121 and the second soft food. In addition, the first seasoning liquid 122 prevents the shape of the first soft food 121 from collapsing during transportation of the container-packed soft food 1 or the like. Furthermore, as will be described later, the first seasoning liquid 122 containing a thickener can make it difficult for the viscosity to decrease due to syneresis when the second food is porridge.

The first food 12 is, for example, a main dish or a side dish. Examples of main dishes and side dishes reproduced by the first food 12 include, but are not limited to, curry, stew, boiled vegetables, and boiled dishes such as sukiyaki, or hamburgers combined with sauces. , tomato-simmered chicken; stir-fried meat and vegetables, boiled fish, and boiled vegetables; The first food 12 may be a dessert such as almond jelly.

A ratio V1/V2 between the volume V1 of the first food 12 and the volume V2 of the container body 11 is 0.7 or less. The ratio V1/V2 is preferably 0.55 or less. If the ratio V1/V2 is large, a sufficient amount of the second food cannot be put into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 .

The ratio V1/V2 is preferably 0.4 or more, more preferably 0.5 or more. If the ratio V1/V2 is too small, the first food 12 tends to move greatly within the container body 11 during transportation of the packaged soft food 1, and as a result, the shape of the first soft food 121 tends to collapse. . Further, if the ratio V1/V2 is too small, even if the planned maximum amount of the second food is put into the container body 11 containing the first food 12, a large head space may remain in the container body 11. have a nature. Therefore, a larger space is required for displaying and storing the container-packed soft food 1 .

When the first food 12 is a main dish or a side dish, the second food is a staple food such as porridge. Therefore, according to the container-packed soft food 1, the caregiver puts the second food as the staple food into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 as the main dish or the side dish, for example. A side dish can be scooped with a spoon along with the staple food. Therefore, according to the container-packaged soft food 1, it is possible to reduce the burden on the caregiver to help a person with difficulty swallowing eat.

The packaged soft food 1 can be distributed independently. Alternatively, the container-packaged soft food 1 is distributed in combination with a container-packaged food containing the second food, that is, in the form of a food set comprising the container-packaged soft food 1 and the container-packaged food containing the second food. can be distributed in

One food set may contain only one container-packed soft food 1, or may contain a plurality of them. One food set may include only one packaged food containing the second food, or may include a plurality of such packaged food. In the food set, the number of packaged soft foods 1 and the number of packaged foods containing the second food may be the same or different.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of containerized food that can be distributed in combination with the containerized soft food shown in FIG.
The container-packed food 2 shown in FIG. 4 includes a container 21 and a second food 22 .

The container 21 is a four-sided seal bag provided with a notch as an easy-to-open structure. Container 21 may be other bags such as three-way seal bags and gusset bags. Alternatively, container 21 may be a can or bottle. Alternatively, container 21 may be a combination of a container body and a lid having the structures described above for container body 11 and lid 13, respectively.

A second food 22 is housed in the container 21 . The container 21 contains the second food 22 for one person or more. The container 21 may contain the second food 22 for a plurality of people or more.

The second food 22 is, for example, the second soft food, the second seasoning liquid, or the second soft food and the second seasoning liquid. The second soft food preferably has the hardness described above for the first soft food 121 . Also, the second seasoning liquid preferably has the viscosity described above for the first seasoning liquid 122 .

When the first food 12 is a main dish or a side dish, the second food 22 is a staple food such as porridge.

The rice porridge is, for example, five-fold rice porridge (whole rice porridge) prepared by adding 5 parts by weight of water to 1 part by weight of rice, and 7 parts by weight of water prepared by adding 7 parts by weight of water to 1 part of rice. Double porridge, 10-fold rice porridge cooked with 10 parts by mass of rice and 10 parts by mass of water, or 1 part by mass of rice cooked with 20 parts by mass of water It is 20 times more porridge. This magnification is appropriately selected according to the condition of the eater.

The porridge may or may not contain salt. If the eater has hypertension, the porridge preferably does not contain salt.

The porridge may be a protein-adjusted food. Low potassium, sodium, protein and phosphorus intakes are recommended for patients with renal disease. A porridge with reduced protein content is suitable for such patients.

When the first food 12 is a main dish or a side dish, the second food 22 may be tofu. Diabetic patients are advised to reduce their sugar intake. Tofu is suitable for such patients.

As noted above, first food item 12 may be a dessert. If the first food item 12 is dessert, the second food item 22 is, for example, a sauce such as fruit sauce or chocolate sauce.

In this way, the second food 22 to be combined with the first food 12 can be selected from various items. The type of second food 22 can be selected according to the condition of the eater. That is, depending on the condition of the eater, for example, whether it is porridge or tofu, in the case of porridge, the ratio of the amount of water to the amount of rice, the presence or absence of salt, and the protein-adjusted food You can decide whether there is

Also, the amount of the second food 22 to be put into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 can be determined according to the condition of the eater. For example, the input amount of the second food 22 can be determined based on the amount of calories or the amount of specific ingredients that the eater should take. Indicators 114a and 114b facilitate dosing of second food product 22 in amounts thus determined.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of usage of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of usage of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing still another example of usage of the container-packed soft food shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, the second food 22 is thrown into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 up to the position of the opening. In FIG. 6, the second food 22 is thrown into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 up to the position of the indicator 114b. In FIG. 7, the second food 22 is thrown into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 up to the position of the indicator 114a. In this manner, the amount of the second food 22 put into the container main body 11 containing the first food 12 can be adjusted in multiple steps using the indicators 114a and 114b as a guide.

In addition, when adjusting the input amount of the second food product 22 using the indicators 114a and 114b as a guide, the reference table described below can be used.

For example, a reference table showing the relationship between the type of the second food 22, the input amount of the second food 22 indicated by the indicators 114a and 114b, etc., and the amount of heat or ingredients of the second food 22 to be input is prepared in advance. back. Next, the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients of the second food 22 to be fed is calculated from the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients that the person should take in and the amount of calories or the amount of ingredients of the first food 12 determined based on the condition of the eater. calculate. Then, the type of the second food 22 determined based on the condition of the eater and the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients calculated as described above are referred to the above reference table, and any indicator is used as a guideline for the amount of input. Decide whether to

Alternatively, the type of the second food 22, the input amount of the second food 22 indicated by the indicators 114a and 114b, etc., and the heat amount or component amount of the input second food 22 and the heat amount or component amount of the first food 12 Prepare in advance a reference table that shows the relationship between the sums of Next, referring to the above reference table, the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients and the type of the second food 22 to be ingested by the eater determined based on the condition of the eater, and which indicator is used as a guideline for the input amount. decide what to do.

The packaged soft food 1 can be distributed in combination with the above reference table. That is, the container-packaged soft food 1 can be distributed in the form of a container-packaged soft food with a reference table containing this and a reference table.

Containerized soft food with a reference table has the reference table, for example, in the form of a printed layer provided on the container main body 11 or the lid 13, or a printed layer provided on the package for packaging the containerized soft food 1. can be included in the form of Alternatively, the containerized soft food product with a reference table can include the reference table in the form of a card or booklet on which it is recorded.

Similarly, a food set containing containerized soft food 1 and containerized food 2 can be distributed in combination with the above reference table. That is, the food set can also be distributed in the form of a food set with a reference table including this and the reference table. In this case, since the type of the second food 22 contained in the container-packaged food 2 is specified, the reference table includes the input amount of the second food 22 indicated by the indicators 114a and 114b, etc., and the input second food 22. The amount of input of the second food 22 indicated by the indicators 114a and 114b or the like, and the amount of heat or the amount of components of the second food 22 to be input. Anything that indicates the total relationship with the amount of heat or the amount of ingredients of the first food 12 may be used.

A food set with a reference table includes a reference table, for example, in the form of a printed layer provided on the container body 11, the lid 13, or the container 21, or at least one of the container-packed soft food 1 and the container-packed food 2. It can be included in the form of a printed layer provided on the package for packaging. Alternatively, the food set with a lookup table may include the lookup table in the form of a card or booklet on which it is recorded.

As described above, the container body 11 containing the first food 12 does not contain the second food 22 during distribution. Therefore, for example, the type and amount of the second food 22 can be determined according to the condition of the eater.

A second food 22 can be put into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden of assisting eating.

Further, as described above, indicators 114a and 114b facilitate adjusting the amount of second food product 22 input. In this respect as well, the burden of assisting with eating can be reduced.

In addition, the first seasoning liquid 122 containing a thickener can reduce the risk of aspiration associated with the generation of free water, as described below. Heating the second food product 22 generates steam that can condense to produce free water. This free water increases the risk of aspiration. Even if free water is generated in this way, if the second food 22 put into the container body 11 is mixed with the first seasoning liquid 122 containing the thickening agent, the low-viscosity liquid can be eaten. can prevent

Moreover, when the second food 22 is porridge, the first seasoning liquid 122 containing a thickener can reduce the risk of accidental swallowing, as described below.

When porridge is eaten with a spoon, α-amylase in saliva is mixed into the porridge through the spoon. α-amylase contaminating porridge causes starch degradation. As a result, syneresis occurs due to starch decomposition.

People with dysphagia often take a long time to finish a full meal. Therefore, a large amount of free water may be generated in the porridge eaten by the dysphagic person due to α-amylase being mixed into the porridge. Low viscosity free water increases the risk of aspiration.

The thickener makes it difficult for water syneresis or the accompanying decrease in viscosity to occur. The table below shows the test results in this regard.

In the above table, plain porridge was prepared by the following method.
First, measure 1/2 cup of white rice and grind it. Next, put the drained white rice and 900 mL of water into a pot and heat over medium heat. Lightly mix this when it starts to boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid leaving a small gap. Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, then add a couple of pinches of salt and stir.

Also, in the table above, the thick porridge was obtained by the method described above for the normal porridge, except that it was cooked with an additional thickening agent. Here, xanthan gum was used as a thickening agent. The thickener was added so that the concentration in the mixture of white rice, water and thickener was 1% by weight.

The above table shows the viscosity and temperature immediately before eating and the viscosity and temperature after 60 minutes from the start of eating for each porridge. A tuning fork type vibration viscometer SV-10 (manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd.) was used to measure the viscosity. In addition, the acquired data was obtained from the RsVisco Ver. 1.11.

As shown in the above table, the viscosity of both the commercially available porridge and the plain rice porridge is significantly lower after 60 minutes from the start of eating than immediately before eating. On the other hand, the viscosity of thick porridge 60 minutes after the start of eating was lower than that immediately before eating, but maintained a high value.

Thus, the thickener makes it difficult for the viscosity to decrease due to syneresis. Therefore, if the second food 22 put into the container main body 11 and the first seasoning liquid 122 containing the thickening agent are mixed, even if the second food 22 is porridge, the viscosity associated with syneresis is can be made less likely to decrease.

Moreover, even if such mixing is not carried out, it is possible to make it difficult for the viscosity to decrease due to syneresis. This will be explained below.

When the second food 22 is put into the container body 11 containing the first food 12 as shown in FIG. First, it passes through the layer consisting of the second food 22 and then penetrates the layer consisting of the first food 12 . When the pot passes through the layer of second food 22 , part of the α-amylase attached to the spoon transfers to second food 22 .

A portion of the second food 22 to which α-amylase has migrated from the inner surface of the pot is immediately scooped up with a spoon. Therefore, the α-amylase transferred from the inner surface of the pot to the second food 22 does not remain inside the container body 11 .

The portion of the second food 22 to which the α-amylase has migrated from the outer surface of the pot is not immediately scooped up by the spoon. However, the first seasoning liquid 122 and the second food 22 move quickly to the recesses formed in the layer of the first food 12 as the first soft food 121 is scooped out together with the second food 22 with a spoon. . This allows the α-amylase transferred from the outer surface of the pot to the second food 22 to come into contact with the thickening agent contained in the first seasoning liquid 122 .

Therefore, even when the second food 22 is porridge, it is possible to make it difficult for the viscosity to decrease due to syneresis.

The invention described in the original claims of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-060543 will be added below.
[1]
a container body having an opening;
a first food made of a first soft food or made of the first soft food and a first seasoning liquid and contained in the container main body;
and a lid that closes the opening,
A container-packaged soft food, wherein a ratio V1/V2 between the volume V1 of the first food and the volume V2 of the container body is 0.7 or less.
[2]
Item 2. The packaged soft food product according to item 1, wherein the ratio V1/V2 is 0.4 or more.
[3]
Item 3. The packaged soft food according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the first soft food has a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less.
[4]
4. Any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the first food comprises the first soft food and the first seasoning liquid, and the first seasoning liquid has a viscosity of 0.5 to 20.0 Pa s. A soft food in a container as described.
[5]
On the side wall of the container body, when the soft food in the container is placed so that the opening is positioned above the bottom of the container body and the bottom is horizontal, the upper surface of the first food and the Item 5. The container-packed soft food according to any one of Items 1 to 4, further comprising an indicator located between the opening and the container.
[6]
Item 6. The packaged soft food product according to Item 5, wherein the indicator includes a linear portion extending in a direction parallel to the bottom portion.
[7]
Items 1 to 4, wherein the side wall portion of the container body is provided with an indicator that serves as a guideline for the amount of the second food to be put into the container body containing the first food when the second food is put into the container body containing the first food. The container-packed soft food according to any one of the above.
[8]
Item 7. The container-packaged soft food according to Item 7;
The type of the second food, the input amount of the second food indicated by the indicator, and the heat amount or component amount of the input second food, or this heat amount or component amount and the heat amount or component amount of the first food. Soft food packaged in a container with a reference table and a reference table showing the relationship between
[9]
Items 1 to 7, the container-packaged soft food according to any one of Items 1 to 7;
A food set comprising a container and a container-packed food comprising a second food contained in the container.
[10]
The second food consists of a second soft food having a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less, or consists of a second seasoning liquid having a viscosity of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa·s, or 10. The food set according to Item 9, comprising the second soft food and the second seasoning liquid.
[11]
Item 11. A food set according to Item 9 or 10, wherein the second food is porridge.
[12]
Item 11. The food set according to Item 9 or 10, wherein the second food contains tofu.
[13]
Item 7. The container-packaged soft food according to Item 7;
a packaged food product comprising a container and the second food product housed in the container;
Shows the relationship between the input amount of the second food indicated by the indicator, and the heat amount or component amount of the input second food, or the sum of this heat amount or component amount and the heat amount or component amount of the first food. A food set with a reference table and a reference table.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Soft food in a container, 2... Food in a container, 11... Container body, 12... First food, 13... Lid, 21... Container, 22... Second food, 111... Bottom, 112... Side wall, 113... Flange portion, 114a... indicator, 114b... indicator, 121... first soft food, 122... first seasoning liquid.

Claims (11)

a container body having an opening and having a ratio D/R of depth D to opening diameter R in the range of 0.35 to 0.56;
a first food that is made of a molded first soft food or is made of the first soft food and a first seasoning liquid and is contained in the container body;
and a lid that closes the opening,
A container-packed soft food for eating the first food together with the second food by putting the second food into the container body containing the first food,
The second food consists of a second soft food having a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less, or consists of a second seasoning liquid having a viscosity of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa·s, or , consisting of the second soft food and the second seasoning liquid, or porridge, or containing tofu,
A container-packaged soft food, wherein a ratio V1/V2 between the volume V1 of the first food and the volume V2 of the container body is 0.7 or less. The second food consists of a second soft food having a hardness of 5×10 ⁴ N/m ² or less, or consists of a second seasoning liquid having a viscosity of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa·s, or , said second soft food and said second seasoning liquid. 3. The packaged soft food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second food is porridge. 3. The packaged soft food according to claim 1, wherein said second food contains tofu. The container-packaged soft food according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ratio V1/V2 is 0.4 or more. The packaged soft food according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first soft food has a hardness of 5 x ¹⁰⁴ N/ ^m2 or less. 7. The first food product comprises the first soft food product and the first seasoning liquid, and the first seasoning liquid has a viscosity of 0.5 to 20.0 Pa·s. Soft food in a container according to . On the side wall of the container body, when the soft food in the container is placed so that the opening is positioned above the bottom of the container body and the bottom is horizontal, the upper surface of the first food and the 8. The packaged soft food according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an indicator positioned between said opening. 9. The packaged soft food product according to claim 8, wherein said indicator includes a linear portion extending in a direction parallel to said bottom portion. 1. A side wall portion of the container body is provided with an indicator that serves as a guideline for the amount of the second food to be put into the container body containing the first food when the second food is put into the container body. 8. The packaged soft food according to any one of 7. The container-packed soft food according to claim 10,
The type of the second food, the input amount of the second food indicated by the indicator, and the heat amount or component amount of the input second food, or this heat amount or component amount and the heat amount or component amount of the first food. Soft food packaged in a container with a reference table and a reference table showing the relationship between

Images