JP2023153063A - Fibrous cheese and method for evaluating threading properties of the cheese - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fibrous cheese which can maintain ease of being torn, and achieve preferable threading properties when being torn.SOLUTION: A fibrous cheese is configured so that, a part of the cheese is raised at 10 mm/second along a fiber arrangement direction and is torn, an inclination of force to a time from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds since start of the raising, is 50 mN/second or greater and 500 mN/second or smaller. The fibrous cheese is configured so that, when a part of the cheese is raised at 10 mm/second along the fiber arrangement direction and is torn, an average value of force in a time from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds since start of the raising, is 2000 mN or smaller preferably, and is more preferably in a range from 300 mN or greater and 2000 mN or smaller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fibrous cheese. The present invention also relates to a method for evaluating stringiness of fibrous cheese.

Research has been conducted on fibrous cheese in the past, and various inventions related to fibrous cheese have been disclosed (for example, see the prior art documents listed in the "Prior Art Documents" section below).

JP2007-289085A

Toshiaki Kimura, "Electron microscopic study on the structure of casein submicelles in string cheese", Snow Brand R&D Report, 1994 Masaru Izutsu, "Rheology of split cheese", Journal of the Japanese Society of Biorheology, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2005, pp. 10-23.

By the way, many of the fibrous cheeses that have been on the market in recent years are relatively hard and easy to tear, but the amount of stringiness produced when they are torn is small. Such fibrous cheese generally has a hard texture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fibrous cheese that maintains tearability and has good stringiness when torn. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new method that can more accurately evaluate the stringiness of fibrous cheese.

In order to solve the above problem, the inventors of the present invention conducted extensive studies and found that when a part of the fibers was pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the direction of fiber arrangement, from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds after the start of pulling. A fibrous cheese in which the slope of the force with respect to time between The present invention has been completed. In addition, in the present invention, fibrous cheese is cheese obtained by forming cheese curd into a rod or plate shape through a process such as heating, subjecting it to a certain amount of stretching, and then cooling and solidifying it. It is a type of cheese that, when you tear it apart, splits into thin strings in a certain direction. Note that such fibrous cheese is called string cheese or the like in the market. Furthermore, in the present invention, the fiber arrangement direction refers to the direction in which the cheese curd is stretched during production.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
(1) When a part is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the slope of the force with respect to time from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is 50 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec. Fibrous cheese that is within the range of seconds or less.

(2) When a part is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the direction of fiber arrangement, the average force from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is 2000 mN or less (1) The fibrous cheese described in.

(3) When a part is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the average value of the force from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is within the range of 300 mN or more and 2000 mN or less. The fibrous cheese according to (2).

(4) The fibrous cheese according to any one of (1) to (3), which is packaged using a vacuum packaging method, a gas displacement packaging method, or a packaging method that includes an oxygen absorber.

In order to solve the above-mentioned other problem, as a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, the upper part of fibrous cheese fixed on a stand so that the fiber arrangement direction is horizontal is horizontal from one end in the fiber arrangement direction. a first step of making a cut along the direction; a second step of making the gripper grip the region above the cut; and a second step of making the gripper grip the portion above the cut; and while pulling the gripper upward at a constant speed, the gripper The present invention has been completed by discovering a method for evaluating the stringiness of fibrous cheese, which comprises a third step of measuring the force applied to the fibrous cheese and a fourth step of determining the slope of the force with respect to the time. Note that when the gripper is pulled upward, the fibrous cheese is pulled up so that the pulling direction is always perpendicular to the fiber arrangement direction of the fibrous cheese.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
(5) A first step of making a cut along the horizontal direction from one end in the fiber arrangement direction of the upper part of the fibrous cheese fixed on the stand so that the fiber arrangement direction is horizontal; a second step of causing the gripper to grip the body part; a third step of measuring the force applied to the gripper with respect to time while pulling the gripper upward at a constant speed; and a third step of measuring the force applied to the gripper with respect to time. A method for evaluating stringiness of fibrous cheese, comprising a fourth step of determining the slope.

The fibrous cheese according to the present invention exhibits good stringiness when torn while maintaining tearability. The method for evaluating the stringiness of fibrous cheese according to the present invention can evaluate the stringiness of fibrous cheese more accurately than conventional methods.

1 is a chart showing the tear force of each fibrous cheese measured using a texture analyzer in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. 1 is a graph showing the correlation between the slope of tearing force with respect to time and stringiness (the average of stringiness with respect to the slope of tearing force with respect to time of fibrous cheeses according to Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2) (This is a plot of points.)

The fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is a type of so-called pasta filata, and is made into cheese by subjecting the cheese curd to a certain amount of stretching through a process such as heating the cheese curd. Cheese is obtained by molding curd into a rod or plate shape and then cooling and solidifying the molded product. Moreover, this fibrous cheese is a cheese called string cheese, Sakeru Cheese (registered trademark), etc., and when it is torn by hand, it tears into thin strings in a certain direction.

In the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention, the water content is preferably in the range of 35% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and more preferably in the range of 40% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less. , more preferably within the range of 41% by mass or more and 53% by mass or less, and particularly preferably within the range of 42% by mass or more and 52% by mass or less. Further, in this fibrous cheese, the protein content is preferably in the range of 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, more preferably in the range of 12% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, and 15% by mass or more. It is more preferably within the range of 30% by mass or less, and particularly preferably within the range of 20% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. Moreover, this fibrous cheese can contain whey protein as an example of protein. The ratio of the casein content mass to the whey protein content mass is preferably within the range of 4 or more and 80 or less, and more preferably within the range of 4 or more and 20 or less. Further, in this fibrous cheese, the fat content is preferably in the range of 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, more preferably in the range of 15% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, and 17% by mass or more. It is more preferably within the range of 33% by mass or less, and particularly preferably within the range of 18% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less.

In addition, when a part of the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the fibrous cheese is The slope of the force with respect to time is within the range of 50 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec or less. The larger this slope is, the more preferable it is, preferably within the range of 100 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec or less, more preferably within the range of 200 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec or less, and 300 mN/sec or more. It is more preferably within the range of 500 mN/sec or less, and particularly preferably within the range of 400 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec or less.

In addition, when a part of the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the fibrous cheese is It is preferable that the average value of the force is within the range of 300 mN or more and 2000 mN or less. Further, the average value of this force is preferably within the range of 400 mN or more and 1800 mN or less, more preferably within the range of 600 mN or more and 1600 mN or less, and even more preferably within the range of 600 mN or more and 800 mN or less, It is particularly preferably within the range of 800 mN or more and 1200 mN or less.

Since the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention exhibits the above-mentioned physical properties, it exhibits good stringiness when torn while maintaining the tearability of conventional fibrous cheeses.

By the way, the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is manufactured through a so-called pasta filata process. The pasta filata process consists of heating the cheese curds at an appropriate pH and kneading the cheese curds until there are no large lumps, then kneading and spreading the cheese curds until the physical properties become smooth, or after kneading the cheese curds. This is a process in which the card is stretched, cooled, and solidified.

Note that cheese curd is prepared by adding lactic acid bacteria starter or the like to raw milk to make the raw milk acidic, adding a coagulant to the acidic raw milk, and then discharging whey from the coagulated raw milk.

The raw milk is not particularly limited as long as it is commonly used in the production of natural cheese, and milk from cows, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc. can be used. The raw milk is preferably cow's milk or buffalo milk from the viewpoint of flavor. In addition, raw milk includes raw milk, whole milk, skim milk, partially skimmed milk, or a mixture thereof, or cream, whey cream, buttermilk, ultrafiltration concentrate, skim milk powder, acid casein, milk protein concentrate. Any mixture of lactose (MPC) and lactose can be used, and if necessary, sterilized or fat-adjusted milk can be used. Also. It is also possible to use reconstituted milk, which is obtained by adding a small amount of vegetable oil to skim milk powder or milk fat that has been adjusted to a predetermined ratio to this raw milk.

It is preferable that the raw milk is sterilized. The methods for sterilizing raw milk are generally the low-temperature sterilization method (holding at 62-65°C for 30 minutes or more (LTLT method)), the high-temperature short-time sterilization method (holding at 72-75°C for 15 seconds or more) (HTST method)), ultra-high temperature heat treatment method (holding at 120-150°C for 1-5 seconds (UHT method)), etc., but it is preferable to use heating conditions that do not cause thermal denaturation of whey proteins. From this point of view, the HTST method is particularly preferred.

Incidentally, it is also preferable to concentrate the proteins in the raw milk by ultrafiltering the sterilized raw milk using an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane. The concentration ratio at this time is preferably 2 to 8 times, more preferably 3 to 6 times. If the desired concentration ratio cannot be obtained, skim milk powder may be added to the concentrated raw milk to increase the protein concentration to the desired level. Furthermore, it is effective to homogenize the fat contained in raw milk or cream in advance in order to improve the yield of fat in cheese curd and to prevent the fat from flowing out into whey. Specifically, the cream may be heated to 60° C. or higher, homogenized using a high-pressure homogenizer, cooled, and then mixed with concentrated skim milk. During homogenization, it is preferable to add a small amount of protein material such as casein, whey protein concentrate (WPC, WPI), milk protein concentrate (MPC), etc. to promote emulsification of fat.

The raw milk after sterilization is cooled to a temperature suitable for lactic acid bacteria starter, then a predetermined amount of lactic acid bacteria starter is added to the raw milk, the lactic acid bacteria starter is uniformly mixed with the raw milk, and the raw milk is used to grow lactic acid bacteria. The raw milk is fermented by maintaining the temperature. The growth temperature of lactic acid bacteria is preferably 25 to 35°C for mesophilic starters, and 35 to 45°C for thermophilic starters, but can be adjusted from the viewpoint of flavor and working time. . The lactic acid bacteria may be any lactic acid bacteria that can be used in natural cheese, and the genus and species thereof may be arbitrary. Examples include known lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus cremoris, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Lactobacillus thermophilus. The amount of lactic acid bacteria starter added is preferably 0.5 to 2.0% by mass based on the raw milk if it is a bulk starter. When adding lactic acid bacteria starter directly to raw milk, it is preferable to follow the instructions from the seller of the lactic acid bacteria starter. Furthermore, when adding the lactic acid bacteria starter, the pH of the raw milk may be adjusted by adding organic acids, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, and phosphoric acid. The pH of the raw milk may be adjusted by adding an organic acid without adding the lactic acid bacteria starter. The pH of the curdled raw milk, that is, the cheese curd, is preferably within the range of 4.0 or more and 7.0 or less, more preferably within the range of 4.8 or more and 6.7 or less, 5. It is more preferably within the range of 0 or more and 6.0 or less. When it is desired to soften the resulting cheese curd, the pH is preferably within the range of 5.1 or more and 5.4 or less.

Coagulants include, for example, rennet, chymosin, or any other suitable enzyme capable of converting kappa-casein to para-kappa-casein. The coagulant is generally used by dissolving the raw material milk in an amount of about 0.01 to 0.03% by mass in water and then filtering it. In addition, when rennet is used as a coagulant, the amount of rennet added is the amount necessary to curd the raw milk in about 20 to 40 minutes. That is, the amount added can be appropriately selected depending on the manufacturing conditions and the type of rennet. Generally, about 0.01 to 0.03% by mass of rennet based on raw milk is dissolved in water and filtered, and then uniformly dispersed in the fermentation liquid.

Note that cheese curd obtained by fermenting raw milk, coagulating the fermented raw milk with rennet, and removing whey may be used as it is. Alternatively, the cheese curd thus obtained may be temporarily frozen. The freezing method may be a general cheese curd freezing method, but rapid freezing is preferable. The storage temperature for freezing is -20°C or lower, preferably -50°C or lower, and more preferably -80°C or lower for long-term storage. In the present invention, commercially available frozen cheese curd may be thawed and a part or all of the thawed cheese curd may be used.

The obtained cheese curd may be kneaded immediately, frozen, or refrigerated. In addition, when storing cheese curds frozen or refrigerated, if the salt concentration of the cheese curds is less than 1%, the higher the storage temperature of the cheese curds and the longer the storage period, the stringiness of the resulting fibrous cheese will decrease. It should be noted that this can easily be lost.

Furthermore, when cheese curds are stored frozen, after thawing the frozen cheese curds, salt is added to the cheese curds to give a salt concentration of 1 to 6%, and the cheese curds can be stored at 15°C or lower for up to 3 weeks. Examples of the salting method include a method of mixing dry salt into cut cheese curds, a method of immersing the cheese curds in a salt-containing solution, or a method of salting the cheese curds by spraying a salt-containing solution onto the cheese curds. Cheese curds with a salt content of 1 to 5% by weight can be made by spraying a solution containing 15% or more salt onto the cheese curds or by soaking the cheese curds in a solution containing salt at a salt concentration of 15% or more for 5 minutes to 6 hours. Obtainable.

There are no particular restrictions on the method of defrosting cheese curd, but it is desirable to defrost it slowly at a temperature of 5° C. or lower. This is because if the cheese curd is thawed under high temperature conditions, such as in hot water, the ice crystals will thaw and the fat in the cheese curd may flow out. When the fat in the cheese curd flows out, the cheese shrinks and the resulting fibrous cheese becomes hard, which is undesirable. In order to soften the resulting fibrous cheese, thawing at 4 to 5°C is preferable, more preferably 1 to 3°C.

It is preferable to cut the finished cheese curd using any cutter. It is preferable to use a shape with a large surface area so that the temperature of the cheese curd can easily rise in the subsequent kneading process. While mixing the shredded cheese curd pieces, the pH of the cheese curd is adjusted. The pH of the cheese curd is preferably adjusted to 5.3 to 5.6. Preferably, the pH of the cheese curd is adjusted with organic acids such as lactic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium citrate, calcium citrate, and the like. Note that among the above pH adjusters, lactic acid, citric acid, and sodium hydroxide are particularly preferred. This pH adjustment improves the flavor and appearance of the fibrous cheese.

Methods for heating cheese curds include, for example, internal heating methods (Joule heating method, microwave heating method), indirect heating methods in which hot water or steam is heated while passing through a jacket, etc., and adding hot water at 75 to 90°C. One example is a direct heating method. As the method, a Joule heating method or an indirect heating method is preferable. This is because the outflow of milk components is suppressed. Further, it is preferable that the fibrous cheese according to the present invention contains aroma components, since the outflow of aroma components can also be suppressed. In such a case, it is preferable to use a steam stretcher, for example, because it is possible to maintain the content of the aroma component and to uniformly mix the aroma component into the cheese curd. Further, the heating temperature is preferably such that the temperature of the cheese curd is 55°C to 80°C, more preferably a temperature of approximately 60°C to 75°C. The cheese curd can be kneaded using, for example, a twin-screw extruder or a stretcher.

By stretching the kneaded cheese curd after heating and kneading the cheese curd, tearability can be imparted to the fibrous cheese. Examples of methods for stretching the kneaded cheese curd include a method of pulling the kneaded cheese curd in a certain direction, a method of rolling the kneaded cheese curd while winding it, and a method of extruding it at a constant speed. Note that the above three stretching methods may be combined. The stretching method may be selected depending on the tearability and physical properties of the resulting fibrous cheese. The stretching ratio can be adjusted by the number of winding rollers and the rotation speed of the winding rollers. In addition, it is preferable to employ an extrusion drawing method in that fibrous cheese can be manufactured continuously. The temperature of the cheese curd during stretching is preferably 58 to 75°C, more preferably 60 to 70°C.

The stretched kneaded cheese curd (i.e., fibrous cheese) can be molded as it is or into various forms such as rods, plates, strings, filaments, and films using various means, and can be shaped into desired lengths as needed. It is severed immediately. The obtained fibrous cheese is typically cut into lengths of 1 to 20 cm in the fiber alignment direction. The typical shape of fibrous cheese is a round rod.

By rapidly cooling the fibrous cheese obtained as described above to 40° C. or lower, the tearability of the fibrous cheese can be improved. In such a case, liquefied gas, water, saline solution, etc. can be used as the cooling medium. Methods for cooling fibrous cheese using this cooling medium include spraying the cooling refrigerant onto the fibrous cheese, immersing the fibrous cheese in the cooling refrigerant, and blowing the cooling refrigerant onto the fibrous cheese in a cooling facility. Examples include methods. These methods may be performed alone or in combination. The obtained fibrous cheese is cooled, and the cooled fibrous cheese is cut and packaged. Note that such cooling may be performed after the stretching step. Also, fibrous cheese may be frozen. By freezing the fibrous cheese, the tearability of the fibrous cheese can be maintained.

The finished fibrous cheese is soaked in a concentrated salt solution (brine) if necessary. If the amount of salt added to the cheese curd is large, this brine immersion can be omitted. Fibrous cheese is typically soaked in saturated saline or 20% saline at 10° C. for about 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the shape and size of the fibrous cheese. Thereafter, the fibrous cheese is packaged after removing water.

Examples of methods for packaging the fibrous cheese according to the embodiments of the present invention include vacuum packaging, gas replacement packaging, inclusion of an oxygen absorber, and packaging using an oxygen absorbing packaging material. In vacuum packaging, fibrous cheese is packaged so that the internal pressure is within a range of 3 kPa or more and 15 kPa or less. In gas replacement packaging, the inside of the packaging material containing the fibrous cheese may be replaced with an inert gas. By individually packaging fibrous cheese using any of the methods described above, the growth of microorganisms such as mold can be further suppressed until just before eating.

Note that a step of freezing the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese may be provided after stretching the kneaded cheese curd. Freezing may be carried out at any time after stretching, or immediately after stretching or immediately after salting. Further, the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese may be thawed before being filled and packaged, or the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese may be filled and packaged without being frozen and then frozen. Further, after the stretching treatment, the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese may be frozen before packaging, and then thawed before filling and packaging, or the fibrous cheese may be frozen after filling and packaging. Any freezing method may be used as long as ice crystals can be formed, such as a method of freezing at a temperature of -5° C. or lower. There is no particular restriction on the time from freezing to thawing. Note that by freezing the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese, it becomes possible to preserve the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese for a long period of time (for example, one year).

There are no particular restrictions on the method for thawing the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese after freezing, but it is preferable to thaw at a temperature of 3 to 10°C. This is because fat flows out from the kneaded cheese curd or fibrous cheese in a high temperature range, causing the problem that the resulting fibrous cheese becomes hard.

The pH of the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set depending on the desired properties of the cheese. The pH of this fibrous cheese is preferably within the range of 5.0 or more and 5.7 or less from the viewpoint of maintaining stringiness, storage stability, and good flavor when eaten directly.

Fibrous cheese can be made into any desired shape. For example, it may have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure. In addition, when the fibrous cheese has a multi-layer structure, the multi-layer structure may be formed not only in one direction but also in a spiral shape, or may be twisted to entangle the multi-layer structure.

Moreover, from the viewpoint of ease of tearing, it is preferable that the fibrous cheese be stretched in one direction. In addition, when fibrous cheese has a multilayer structure, it is preferable that each layer is stretched in the same direction and those layers are pasted together.

Furthermore, the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention may be natural cheese or processed cheese.

The processed cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention refers to processed cheese, cheese food, and foods whose main ingredients are milk and the like. When producing processed cheese and cheese foods, it is necessary to add and mix emulsifiers such as molten salt to cheese curd. As the molten salt, molten salts such as phosphate, citrate, tartrate, etc., which are commonly used in the production of processed cheese, can be used. The type of compound of the molten salt is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, sodium phosphate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium tetrametaphosphate, and potassium phosphate. , dipotassium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium citrate, sodium tartrate, calcium tartrate, etc., and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amount added is preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass, based on the total amount of cheese (100% by mass). Note that addition of excessive molten salt reduces properties such as stringiness of the fibrous cheese.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, an emulsifier may be added as an additive. Examples of the emulsifier include glycerin fatty acid ester, lecithin, sucrose fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and polysorbate. Polyglycerol fatty acid ester, enzyme-treated lecithin, and polysorbate are preferable because oil and emulsions do not separate from the cheese curd during heating and kneading. The amount added is preferably 0.1 to 3% by mass based on the mass of fibrous cheese (100% by mass). Note that addition of excessive molten salt reduces properties such as stringiness of the fibrous cheese.

Any component or food additive may be added to the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention, if necessary. Such ingredients include, for example, water, salt, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, organic acids, fruit juices, flavor substances, functional ingredients, cheese enzyme-treated products, etc. that are contained in ordinary foods. Ingredients etc. Here, carbohydrates include soluble starch, oxidized starch, starch ester, starch ether, dietary fiber (cellulose, etc.) in addition to dextrin. Examples of lipids include animal fats and oils such as lard, fish oil, and their fractionated oils, hydrogenated oils, and transesterified oils; palm oil, safflower oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, coconut oil, and their fractionated oils; Examples include vegetable oils and fats such as hydrogenated oils and transesterified oils, and phospholipids. Examples of vitamins include vitamin A, carotenes, vitamin B group, vitamin C, vitamin D group, vitamin E, vitamin K group, vitamin P, vitamin Q, niacin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, inositol, and choline. , folic acid, etc. Examples of minerals include calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, and selenium. Examples of organic acids include malic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, and tartaric acid. Examples of flavor substances include spices, herbs, seasonings (excluding salt), and liquid liquid. Examples of functional ingredients include oligosaccharides, glucosamine, collagen, ceramides, royal jelly, polyphenols, fatty acid amides, lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, peptides, milk protein concentrate (MPC), whey protein concentrate (WPC, WPI), and cheese enzymes. Examples include processed products and amino acids. Examples of food additives include emulsifiers, molten salts, stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents, sweeteners, acidulants, preservatives, antioxidants, pH adjusters, colorants, flavors, and the like. Note that these components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Further, the above-mentioned components may be any of natural products, processed natural products, synthetic products, and/or foods containing a large amount of these. In addition, specific examples of such food additives include emulsifiers, molten salts, stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents, sweeteners, acidulants, preservatives, antioxidants, pH adjusters, Examples include coloring agents and fragrances. Note that such food additives are preferably mixed into the cheese curd when the cheese curd is kneaded. In addition, when the pH of fibrous cheese is set to 5.4 or less, it is preferable to add whey protein concentrate to the cheese curd.

Any stabilizer can be used as long as it plays a known role, and examples thereof include xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, carboxymethylcellulose, agar, gelatin, and the like. Stabilizers may also help prevent fat separation in the final product and adjust the hardness of the final product. The stabilizer may be contained in an effective amount, but preferably in an amount of 0.05 to 0.3% by mass based on the fibrous cheese.

Examples of preservatives include sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, sodium sorbate, sodium dehydroacetate, nisin, natamycin, and ethanol. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The preservative may be contained in an effective amount, but preferably in an amount of 0.07 to 0.25% by weight based on the fibrous cheese.

Seasonings can also be added to the fibrous cheese according to the embodiments of the present invention for the purpose of imparting flavors such as umami, sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and spiciness. The seasoning is not particularly limited as long as it is an edible ingredient. Examples of seasonings include basic seasonings (e.g., sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin, etc.), umami seasonings (e.g., amino acid seasonings such as glutamic acid and monosodium glutamate, inosinic acid, and inosinic acid). Nucleic acid seasonings such as disodium chloride), extracts (stock) (for example, meat extracts, seafood extracts, vegetable extracts). Further, seasonings include oil and fat components, spices, chili peppers, herbs, salt, and flavor components. The seasoning can be added in an amount of 0.01 to 10.0% by mass based on the fibrous cheese. Note that methods for incorporating seasonings into fibrous cheese include injection, immersion, and the like.

In addition, the fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention includes, for example, nuts such as almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and sesame seeds, grapes, mangoes, strawberries, pineapples, apples, kiwis, oranges, and cranberries. Dried fruits such as dried fruit or dried fruit skins, dried vegetables such as tomatoes, rhubarb, and garlic, meat such as bacon and sausage, and seafood and fish eggs such as scallops and cod roe may be added. In such a case, the additives may be added alone or in combination of two or more.

The fibrous cheese according to the embodiment of the present invention may be smoked. The smoking treatment can be performed using a known method and is not particularly limited. As the smoking material, known wood and other materials can be used as appropriate. Specific examples of the smoking material include beech, oak, cherry, apple, walnut, and birch. These smoking materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The shape of the smoke material is not particularly limited, and may be in various shapes such as sawdust, chips, and compacted solid shapes. Further, the smoking method is not particularly limited, and known methods can be used as appropriate. Such methods include, for example, a generator method in which smoke generated by a smoke generating device is introduced into a smoking chamber and smoke treatment is performed, and a direct fire method. The generator method is preferable because it is easier to maintain a stable smoking state and there is a high degree of freedom in setting the conditions for smoking treatment.

Further, the conditions for the smoking treatment are preferably set depending on the physical properties of the granular cheese to be smoked and the appearance and flavor of the fibrous smoked cheese to be obtained. For example, when smoking fibrous cheese using a generator method, the smoking temperature (set temperature) is preferably within the range of 10 to 90°C, more preferably within the range of 25 to 60°C. . The temperature of smoke (set temperature) means the atmospheric temperature inside the smoking room. When the temperature of the smoke is equal to or higher than the above lower limit, the cheese is likely to be sufficiently imparted with smoke flavor. On the other hand, if the temperature of the smoke is below the above upper limit, it will be easier to prevent the granular cheese from melting and coalescing during the smoking process or oil-off, and the smoking process will be in good condition. Easy to do. The smoking treatment time is within the range of 5 to 180 minutes, preferably within the range of 30 to 120 minutes, and is preferably set depending on the degree of smoke to be obtained.

Furthermore, in order to enhance the cheese flavor of fibrous cheese, it is possible to add a cheese enzyme-treated product in which lactic acid bacteria, proteases, lipases, and the like are added and reacted to the cheese curd. In addition, examples of materials that enhance cheese flavor include cheese-like products using lactase-producing microorganisms and lactic acid bacteria, and enzymatically decomposed cheese using Lactobacillus helveticus enzymes. Furthermore, a cheese flavor composition is added to the cheese curd by subjecting the lactic acid bacteria to be used to crush the cells with acid, and adding the resulting crushed cells to the raw milk together with enzymes such as protease, peptidase, and lipase to react. You can also do that. The enzyme-treated cheese, enzymatically decomposed cheese, and cheese flavor composition described above are preferably added in an amount of about 0.001 to 1% by mass based on the fibrous cheese.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail using Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that the present invention is not limited by the examples.

1. Production of fibrous cheese After adding lactic acid bacteria (lactis bacteria, thermophilus bacteria) and enzymes (rennet) to raw milk to curd the milk, cutting whey was discharged to produce cheese curds. Next, lactic acid was added to the cheese curd to adjust its pH to 5.3. The moisture content of this cheese curd was 43% by mass, the fat was 26% by mass, and the protein was 25% by mass. Next, 3200 g of pH-adjusted cheese curd (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "pH-adjusted cheese curd"), 200 g of whey protein concentrate (WPC), 20 g of salt, and 40 g of cheese decomposing enzyme were mixed in a two-screw kneader (Irie Sho Co., Ltd.). After charging the raw materials into the company's model number PN-5), chilled water at 2°C is jacket-circulated in the same raw material input chamber, and the raw materials are kneaded for 0.2 hours while cooling to prepare a primary kneaded product. The primary kneaded product was placed in a Micra Therm (manufactured by GoldPeg), and the primary kneaded product was heated to about 70°C while introducing steam of nearly 100°C into the Micra Therm. Subsequently, the primary kneaded product was put into a twin-screw kneader manufactured by Irie Shokai Co., Ltd., and the primary kneaded product was kneaded for 15 minutes while keeping the temperature at 70° C. to obtain a secondary kneaded product. Thereafter, the secondary kneaded material was put into an extrusion molding machine manufactured by Fushitora Metal Industry Co., Ltd., and the extruder extruded the secondary kneaded material from a tube with a diameter of 14 mm. When the temperature of the extruded material fell below 40° C., the extruded material was cut into 100 mm pieces to obtain the desired fibrous cheese. In this fibrous cheese, the water content was 48.2% by mass, the fat content was 22.3%, the protein content was 24.8%, and the pH (direct method) was 5.35. . In addition, the moisture content is determined from "Normal pressure heating drying method, drying aid addition method" (P2-P3) described in "Chapter 1 General ingredients and related ingredients" of the Japanese Food Standard Table of Food Composition 2015 Edition (7th Edition) Analysis Manual. Measured according to In addition, the protein content was measured according to the "macro-modified Kjeldahl method" (P12-P16) described in the same chapter. In addition, the fat content was measured according to the "acid/ammonia decomposition method" (P24-P25) described in the same chapter. In addition, this pH can be determined by crushing the fibrous cheese for 5 minutes with a homogenizer (Excel Auto Homogenizer manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.) set at a rotation speed of 10,000 rpm, and then applying the pulverized product to a pH meter (pH meter manufactured by Nikko Hansen Co., Ltd.). The measurement was carried out by piercing the probe with a spear.

(2) Evaluation of tear properties of fibrous cheese The tear properties of fibrous cheese were evaluated using a texture analyzer TA-XTplusC manufactured by Hideko Seiki Co., Ltd. Specifically, the characteristics were evaluated according to the following procedure.

The fibrous cheese was cut to a length of 60 mm in the fiber arrangement direction, and was cut into a substantially semicircular shape to create a surface to be fixed to the test stand. Next, place the fibrous cheese on the test stand with the flat bottom side down (that is, place it so that the fiber arrangement direction is horizontal), insert a knife horizontally at a position 5 mm from the top edge, and leave it as it is. A 10 mm incision was made along the axial direction (ie, fiber alignment direction). Next, while maintaining that posture, stick the fibrous cheese on the table with the flat bottom of the semi-cylindrical shape using instant adhesive (Aron Alpha Pro manufactured by Konishi Co., Ltd.) and fix it for 3 minutes. The part was sandwiched with the jig of Texture Analyzer TA-XTplusC. After sandwiching the upper part from the cut with the jig (i.e., gripping tool) of Texture Analyzer TA-XTplusC until the thickness becomes 2 mm, move the jig 10 mm toward the side opposite to the cut side of the fibrous cheese. The fibrous cheese was pulled up at 10 mm/sec while moving at 10 mm/sec to tear the fibrous cheese, and the force applied to the tearing (tear force) was measured using a load cell. That is, in this texture analyzer, the jig is moved upward at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the fiber arrangement direction. Moreover, when the gripper is pulled up in this manner, the fibrous cheese is pulled up so that the pulling direction is always perpendicular to the fiber arrangement direction of the fibrous cheese. Then, using the measurement results from 1.5 to 3.5 seconds, which is the region where the tear force is stable, the slope of the tear force with respect to time was determined by the least squares method, and the average value of the tear force was determined. was 196.6 mN/sec, and the average value was 790.2 mN (see Table 1 and Figure 1).

(3) Evaluation of tearability and stringiness of fibrous cheese After cutting the fibrous cheese into 3 cm lengths and having each of seven expert panelists tear the fibrous cheese three times in the center of the width, Each expert panelist was asked to evaluate the tearability (ease of tearing) of the fibrous cheese using the following criteria, and the average value was used as the evaluation score. As a result, the tearability evaluation score of the fibrous cheese according to this example was 4.7 points.

(Evaluation criteria for tearability)
・It tears easily when you try to tear it: 1 point ・It tears off when you apply strong force to tear it: 2 points ・It requires force to tear, but it can be torn in a certain direction: 3 points ・Create a starting point Although it requires force, it can be torn in a certain direction: 4 points. It can be easily torn with almost no force required: 5 points. We had expert panelists tear apart multiple samples of different types several times and ask them to match their perceptions. Furthermore, in the examples of the present invention, fibrous cheese with an evaluation score of 4 or more can be said to be "easily tearable fibrous cheese."

In addition, each expert panelist was asked to observe the tear location of the fibrous cheese and evaluate the stringiness of the fibrous cheese based on the criteria shown below, and the average value was taken as the evaluation score. As a result, the evaluation score of stringiness of the fibrous cheese according to this example was 4.9 points.

(Evaluation criteria for stringiness)
・No stringing is observed: 1 point ・Stringing is observed, but only thick cheese threads with a width of 1 mm are seen: 2 points ・Thick cheese threads with a width of 1 mm or more and thin cheese threads with a width of less than 1 mm Mixed: 3 points, no thick cheese threads with a width of 1 mm or more are seen, and 14 or less thin cheese threads with a width of less than 1 mm are seen: 4 points, no thick cheese threads with a width of 1 mm or more are seen, width 15 or more thin cheese threads of less than 1 mm are observed: 5 points In the examples of the present invention, it can be said that "fibrous cheese with a large amount of stringiness (good stringiness)" has an evaluation score. It is a fibrous cheese with a score of 3 or more.

(4) Evaluation of the hardness of fibrous cheese After cutting the fibrous cheese into 3 cm long pieces, the fibrous cheese was laid down (in other words, in a position with the axial direction horizontal), and five expert panelists evaluated the fibers of the cheese. The subjects pressed the fibrous cheese from above and ate the fibrous cheese as it was (without tearing it) and evaluated the hardness of the fibrous cheese using the following criteria, and the average score was used as the evaluation score. As a result, the hardness evaluation score of the fibrous cheese according to this example was 2.0 points.

(Hardness evaluation criteria)
- Soft and feels like it sticks to your teeth when you eat it: 1 point - Soft and melts in your mouth when you eat it: 2 points - Appropriate elasticity and texture: 3 points - Hard and feels like it sticks to your teeth when you eat it Chewy: 4 points; Hard, feels like eating rubber: 5 points. Regarding the above criteria, expert panelists evaluated multiple types of samples with different hardness prepared in advance. I asked them to push me a few times, and then I asked them to eat the food so that they could understand the same thing.

A fibrous cheese was made using the same method described in Example 1, except that no whey protein concentrate was added, and the fibrous cheese was evaluated using the same characterization method described in Example 1. Characteristics were evaluated.

The composition of the fibrous cheese obtained in this example was 48.0% by mass of moisture, 24.5% by mass of protein, 21.7% by mass of fat, and 5.8% by mass of other components. Moreover, the slope of the tear force with respect to time was 128.9 mN/sec, and the average value of the tear force was 636.6 mN (see Table 1 and FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores of the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the fibrous cheese were 3.9 points, 4.4 points, and 2.9 points, respectively (see Table 2).

A fibrous cheese was produced using the same production method as described in Example 1. Further, the fibrous cheese was then aged at 10°C for 2 months to obtain aged fibrous cheese. Then, the properties of the aged fibrous cheese were evaluated using the same method as the property evaluation method described in Example 1.

The composition of the aged fibrous cheese obtained in this example was 49.6% by mass of moisture, 24.5% by mass of protein, 20.5% by mass of fat, and 5.4% by mass of other components. Moreover, the slope of the tear force with respect to time was 63.0 mN/sec, and the average value of the tear force was 444.0 mN (see Table 1 and FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores for the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the aged fibrous cheese were 1.9 points, 3.0 points, and 2.1 points, respectively (see Table 2).

A fibrous cheese was produced using the same production method as described in Example 1, except that the amount of whey protein concentrate added was changed to 120 g, and the fibrous cheese was produced using the same method as the characterization method described in Example 1. The characteristics of the shaped cheese were evaluated.

The composition of the fibrous cheese obtained in this example was 49.5% by mass of water, 24.8% by mass of protein, 20.2% by mass of fat, and 5.5% by mass of others. Moreover, the slope of the tear force with respect to time was 134.0 mN/sec, and the average value of the tear force was 1245.0 mN (see Table 1 and FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores of the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the fibrous cheese were 3.1 points, 4.7 points, and 3.9 points, respectively (see Table 2).

Example 1 except that the secondary kneaded product was stirred and held at a high temperature (65°C) for 20 minutes to prepare a tertiary kneaded product, and the tertiary kneaded product was extruded to obtain the desired fibrous cheese. A fibrous cheese was produced using the same production method as described in Example 1, and the properties of the fibrous cheese were evaluated using the same method as the property evaluation method described in Example 1.

The composition of the fibrous cheese obtained in this example was 48.9% by mass of moisture, 25.8% by mass of protein, 20.2% by mass of fat, and 5.1% by mass of other components. Moreover, the slope of the tear force with respect to time was 478.0 mN/sec, and the average value of the tear force was 1705.0 mN (see Table 1 and FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores of the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the fibrous cheese were 4.0 points, 5.0 points, and 3.1 points, respectively (see Table 2).

(Comparative example 1)
When the characteristics of commercially available fibrous cheese were evaluated using the same method as described in Example 1, the composition of the fibrous cheese was 42.7% by mass of water, 27.7% by mass of protein, and 23.2% fat. % by mass, and 6.4% by mass of others. Further, the slope of the tear force with respect to time for the fibrous cheese of this comparative example was 46.6 mN/sec, and the average value of the tear force was 2230.7 mN (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores of the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the fibrous cheese were 3.4 points, 1.9 points, and 4.7 points, respectively.

(Comparative example 2)
The characteristics of a commercially available fibrous cheese (a commercially available fibrous cheese different from the commercially available fibrous cheese according to Comparative Example 1) were evaluated using the same method as the characteristics evaluation method described in Example 1. The composition was 50.0% by mass of water, 23.5% by mass of protein, 19.2% by mass of fat, and 7.3% by mass of other components. Furthermore, the slope of the tearing force with respect to time for the fibrous cheese of this comparative example was -19.0 mN/sec, and the average value of the tearing force was 398.0 mN (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the evaluation scores of the tearability, stringiness, and hardness of the fibrous cheese were 2.0 points, 1.4 points, and 2.6 points, respectively.

The results of the above Examples and Comparative Examples are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 below.

<Result verification>
FIG. 2 shows a graph in which stringiness evaluation points are plotted against the slope of tear force versus time for the fibrous cheeses according to Examples 1 to 5 and the fibrous cheeses according to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. As is clear from FIG. 2, it was suggested that the larger the slope of the tearing force with respect to time of the fibrous cheese, the better the stringiness was proportionally. That is, by producing a fibrous cheese with a large gradient of tearing force with respect to time, it is possible to produce a fibrous cheese with a large amount of stringiness (that is, exhibiting good stringiness).

The fibrous cheese according to the present invention can increase the amount of stringing while maintaining the tearability of conventional fibrous cheeses, and can contribute to the spread of good quality fibrous cheeses.

Claims (5)

When a part is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the slope of the force with respect to time from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is 50 mN/sec or more and 500 mN/sec or less. Fibrous cheese that is within range. 2. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein when a part of the fiber is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the average value of the force from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is 2000 mN or less. Fibrous cheese. A claim that when a part is pulled up and torn at 10 mm/sec along the fiber arrangement direction, the average value of the force from 1.5 seconds to 3.5 seconds from the start of pulling is within the range of 300 mN or more and 2000 mN or less. Fibrous cheese according to item 2. The fibrous cheese according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is packaged by any one of a vacuum packaging method, a gas displacement packaging method, and a packaging method that includes an oxygen absorber. A first step of making a cut along the horizontal direction from one end in the fiber arrangement direction of the upper part of the fibrous cheese fixed on the stand so that the fiber arrangement direction is horizontal;
a second step of causing a gripping tool to grip a portion above the cut;
a third step of measuring the force applied to the gripping tool versus time while pulling the gripping tool upward at a constant speed;
A method for evaluating stringiness of fibrous cheese, comprising a fourth step of determining the slope of the force with respect to the time.

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