JP2023162058A - Natto product and production method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a natto product excellent in handleability and easiness of eating, and to provide a production method of the same.SOLUTION: A natto product 4 includes natto and a semisolid sauce. The natto is a natto processed product which is subjected to surface treatment by a natto viscosity modifier. The natto viscosity modifier contains one kind or two or more kinds of polysaccharides, and the sauce contains a seasoning, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier. The sauce viscosity modifier contains one kind or two or more kinds of polysaccharides. A composition of the natto viscosity modifier is the same as the composition of the sauce viscosity modifier, and the natto viscosity modifier and the sauce viscosity modifier contain carrageenan and locust bean gum.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

There is an application for exception to loss of novelty.

The present invention relates to a natto product that is easy to handle and eat, and a method for producing the same.

Natto has been eaten by people of all ages, from children to adults, for many years because it contains a lot of high-quality protein and is easy to digest.

As mentioned above, natto can be said to be a national food, but some people dislike it because natto's sticky and stringy texture makes it difficult to eat. In particular, stringiness has often been a problem when producing foods using natto and when feeding it to infants and elderly people who require assistance with meals. For this reason, deviscosity-reducing natto and detackifying agents have been known from the past, in which natto's sticky texture and stringiness are removed.

Patent Document 1 describes natto without stringiness, which is obtained by treating natto with one or more of calcium ions, barium ions, magnesium ions, and ethyl alcohol.

Patent Document 2 describes a deviscosity agent for natto that contains a proteolytic enzyme to make the sticky texture of natto easier, particularly to make it easier to break strings, and to reduce stringiness.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-19466 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-211978

In order to reduce the stringiness of natto foods, various methods have been proposed to remove the viscosity of the natto as described above, and the deviscosity natto is easier to eat and easier to handle during meal assistance.

However, in the case of natto eaters who have impaired swallowing function or young children, simply reducing the stringiness may cause them to choke during meals or be unable to swallow properly, making it easier to eat. may be insufficient.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a natto product that is easy to handle and easy to eat, and a method for producing the same.

The natto product of the present invention is a natto product containing natto and a semi-fluid sauce, wherein the natto is a processed natto product whose surface has been treated with a viscosity modifier for natto, and the natto product is a natto product that has been surface-treated with a viscosity modifier for natto. is characterized by containing one or more types of polysaccharides.

The sauce is characterized in that it contains a seasoning, water, and a viscosity modifier for the sauce, and the viscosity modifier for the sauce contains one or more types of polysaccharides.

The composition of the viscosity modifier for natto is the same as the composition of the viscosity modifier for sauce.

The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce are characterized by containing carrageenan as a main component.

The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce further contain dextrin, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum, and are characterized by containing 40% by mass or more of the carrageenan.

The method for producing natto products of the present invention includes a natto processing step of surface-treating natto with a natto viscosity modifier to obtain a natto-treated product, and a mixing step of mixing the natto-treated product with a semi-fluid sauce. It is characterized by having the following.

Before the mixing step, a sauce manufacturing step is performed in which seasonings, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier are mixed and heated at 40°C or higher to dissolve the sauce viscosity modifier to produce the sauce. It is characterized by having.

The sauce manufacturing process is characterized by including a step of dissolving the sauce viscosity modifier, cooling it, and crushing a part of the gelled product obtained by cooling.

The natto product of the present invention is a natto product containing natto and a semi-fluid sauce, the natto being a natto product surface-treated with a viscosity modifier for natto, and the viscosity modifier for natto comprising: Since it contains one or more types of polysaccharides, it is difficult to string and is easy to handle. Furthermore, because it is less sticky than regular natto, it is easy to eat even for people with impaired swallowing ability and for young children.

The sauce contains seasonings, water, and a viscosity modifier for the sauce, and the viscosity modifier for the sauce contains one or more types of polysaccharides, which further reduces the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product. At the same time, it also has excellent ease of clumping together as a food mass. This makes it easier to eat and easier to swallow.

The composition of the viscosity modifier for natto is the same as that of the viscosity modifier for sauce, and since it contains carrageenan as the main component, it further reduces the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product, and also makes it easier to stick together as a bolus. Better.

The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce further contain dextrin, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum, and contain 40% by mass or more of carrageenan, so that the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product are further reduced. , it is even easier to form a food mass.

The method for producing natto products of the present invention includes a natto processing step of surface-treating natto with a natto viscosity modifier to obtain a natto-treated product, a mixing step of mixing the natto-treated product and a semi-fluid sauce, Therefore, the natto products produced by this method are less likely to become stringy and easy to handle. Furthermore, because it is less sticky than regular natto, it is easy to eat even for people with impaired swallowing ability.

Before the mixing step, there is a sauce manufacturing step in which the seasoning, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier are mixed and heated at 40° C. or higher to dissolve the sauce viscosity modifier to produce a sauce, The sauce manufacturing process includes a step of dissolving the viscosity modifier for the sauce, cooling it, and crushing a portion of the gelled product obtained by cooling, so that the surface of the natto is coated with the gel-like sauce during the mixing process. It is thought that the stringiness and stickiness of natto products are more likely to decrease.

FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an example of the method for producing natto products of the present invention.

The natto product of the present invention is a natto product containing natto and a semi-liquid sauce. Natto is a processed natto product whose surface is treated with a viscosity modifier for natto. The viscosity modifier for natto contains one or more polysaccharides. Here, in this specification, "semi-fluid" means a property that exhibits both solid and liquid properties, is viscous, and freely deforms. Furthermore, the term "viscosity modifier for natto" refers to an additive that reduces the stringiness of natto when mixed.

Because the natto product of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it is easy to handle because it does not become stringy, and it is also less sticky than regular natto, so it is easy to eat even by people with impaired swallowing ability and infants. .

The sauce contains a seasoning, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier, and preferably contains the sauce viscosity modifier in a dissolved state. Seasonings include, for example, soy sauce, sugar-mixed glucose-fructose corn syrup, seafood extract, shiitake mushroom extract, amino acids, acidulants, and the like. In addition, when the seasoning contains water, it is not necessary to contain separate water. Here, "viscosity modifier for sauce" means an additive that changes the viscosity of the sauce by blending. The viscosity modifier for the sauce preferably contains one or more polysaccharides. As a result, the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product are further reduced, and the ease with which it comes together as a bolus is improved, making it easier to eat and easier to swallow. The above-mentioned sauce may be a sauce in which a so-called gelling agent or a viscosity modifier for sauces called a thickener is completely dissolved, or a sauce in a dispersed state, as long as it is semi-fluid.

The blending ratio of the viscosity modifier for natto to natto is preferably 0.1 to 15 parts by mass, and preferably 0.3 to 10 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of natto. The amount is more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by weight, even more preferably 0.7 to 3 parts by weight. Further, the blending ratio of the viscosity modifier for the sauce to the seasoning and water is preferably 0.1 to 15 parts by mass of the viscosity modifier for the sauce with respect to the total of 100 parts by mass of the seasoning and water, The amount is more preferably 0.3 to 10 parts by weight, even more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by weight, and even more preferably 0.7 to 3 parts by weight.

The composition of the viscosity modifier for natto may be the same as the composition of the viscosity modifier for sauce, or may be different. The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce may each contain a protein-based viscosity modifier such as gelatin as a component other than polysaccharides. Examples of polysaccharides contained in the viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce include carrageenan, dextrin, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, psyllium seed gum, guar gum, tamarind seed gum, glucomannan, tara gum, gellan gum, agarose, and agaropectin. Polysaccharides such as In particular, carrageenan has protein reactivity and thus imparts structural viscosity to protein-containing liquids to prevent solute precipitation. Furthermore, carrageenan has the unique property of forming a thermoreversible gel by adding potassium or calcium salts, or forming a gel with a unique texture due to the synergistic effect with locust bean gum.

The composition of the viscosity modifier for natto is preferably the same as the composition of the viscosity modifier for sauce. As a result, when the processed natto product and the semi-fluid sauce are mixed, interaction between different types of viscosity modifiers does not occur, so stringiness is easily maintained at a low level. Furthermore, when the viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce contain carrageenan as a main component, they tend to exhibit thixotropy. This is preferable because it further reduces the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product and makes it easier to form a bolus. It is preferable that the viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce further contain locust bean gum. By changing the blending ratio of carrageenan and locust bean gum, a texture that cannot be obtained with other viscosity modifiers is developed, contributing to improved swallowability.

The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce preferably contain carrageenan, dextrin, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum, and more preferably contain carrageenan in an amount of 40% by mass or more. The viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce further include 40 to 80% by mass of carrageenan, 5 to 25% by mass of dextrin, 5 to 25% by mass of locust bean gum, and 10 to 30% by mass of xanthan gum. Preferably, it contains 40 to 65% by weight of carrageenan, 10 to 20% by weight of dextrin, 10 to 20% by weight of locust bean gum, and more preferably 15 to 25% by weight of xanthan gum. By having the above composition, the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product are further reduced, and the thixotropic property is further increased, so that the natto product is more easily put together as a bolus. In addition, when frozen and thawed, syneresis does not occur and the texture does not change, so long-term storage is possible and convenience is excellent.

Examples of viscosity modifiers for natto and sauces include Cook Gelatin manufactured by Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., Gelatin Agar for nursing care food manufactured by Ina Foods Co., Ltd., Ultra Agar for nursing care food manufactured by Nutri Co., Ltd., and Softia manufactured by Nutri Co., Ltd. S, Thick Ale made by Asahi Group Foods Co., Ltd., Easy Jelly Mix made by Kewpie Co., Ltd., NEWGELIN LB 866 K2 made by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Co., Ltd., etc. can be used.

The method for producing natto products of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of the manufacturing process of the natto product of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this manufacturing process includes a natto processing step S1, a sauce manufacturing step S2, and a mixing step S3 of mixing the natto processed product and a semi-fluid sauce. Note that the sauce manufacturing step S2 is not an essential step, and an appropriately prepared semi-fluid sauce may be used in the mixing step S3. When the manufacturing process of the natto product 4 includes the sauce manufacturing process S2, the natto processing process S1 and the sauce manufacturing process S2 may be performed either first or in parallel. Each step will be explained below.

[Natto processing process]
This step is a step in which natto is surface-treated with a viscosity modifier for natto to obtain a treated natto product. In this step, for example, 1 part by mass of a viscosity modifier for natto is added little by little to 100 parts by mass of broken natto, and the mixture is mixed with the mixing device 1 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 to 30 minutes) to form a surface of the natto. is treated with a viscosity modifier for natto. At this time, while preventing the natto from being crushed, the natto is mixed so that the viscosity modifier for natto evenly adheres to the surface of the natto and the natto is surface-treated. Note that in this step, natto may be mixed with seasonings and water. In the natto processing step S1, from the viewpoint of reducing stringiness, it is preferable to mix only the natto and the natto viscosity modifier so that the natto viscosity modifier can easily adhere directly to the surface of the natto.

[Sauce manufacturing process]
This step is a step in which seasonings, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier are mixed and heated at 40° C. or higher to completely dissolve the sauce viscosity modifier to produce a sauce. In this step, for example, 50 parts by mass of water is first added to 100 parts by mass of seasoning. Next, while stirring for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 to 30 minutes) using a stirring device 2 such as a whisk, 1.5 parts by mass of a powdered sauce viscosity modifier is added little by little. Thereafter, it is heated to 40° C. or higher to dissolve the viscosity modifier for the sauce. The heating time is, for example, 5 to 30 minutes. The viscosity modifier for the sauce is preferably dissolved at a temperature of 40 to 100°C, particularly preferably 70 to 90°C, from the viewpoint of increasing the production rate and completely dissolving it. Note that when heating to dissolve the viscosity modifier for sauce, it is preferable not to stir since bubbles are generated.

In the sauce production step S2, after dissolving the sauce viscosity modifier, the solution is cooled down to, for example, about 50° C. or lower while periodically and slowly stirring. Note that cooling may be performed at room temperature or in a low-temperature environment such as a refrigerator (for example, at a low temperature of 0 to 10° C.). If a non-fluid sauce (gelled material) is obtained as a result of cooling, crush this gelled material using an instrument such as a spatula over a specified period of time (for example, 10 seconds to 10 minutes) to create a semi-fluid sauce. Serve as sauce. When crushing the gelled product to make it semi-fluid, the gelled product may be crushed entirely or partially. From the viewpoint of reducing the stringiness and stickiness of the natto product, it is preferable to crush a portion of the gelled product. Depending on the type and amount of the sauce viscosity modifier, it may lose its fluidity and become a gel after cooling, or it may become semi-fluid without becoming a gel, although its fluidity decreases compared to when it is heated. There is also.

[Mixing process]
This step is a step in which the processed natto product and the semi-liquid sauce are mixed to form the natto product 4. In this step, for example, the processed natto product and the semi-fluid sauce are evenly mixed using the stirring device 3 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 to 30 minutes) until there are no lumps and the mixture is uniform. The mixing ratio of the processed natto and the sauce can be set freely. The mixing ratio of the processed natto and the sauce is, for example, preferably 80-20:20-80, more preferably 70-30:30-70, even more preferably 60-40:40-60, and even more preferably 50:50. preferable.

After mixing, the mixture can be filled into a container such as a polyethylene bag using, for example, a filling machine to make it ready for shipping. The natto product 4 filled in a bag is not only easy to handle during meal preparation, but also suitable for frozen storage.

Each natto product listed below was evaluated for ease of handling and ease of eating.

[Example 1]
An example of the natto product of the present invention was manufactured by the process shown in FIG. 1 described above.

The raw materials used in this evaluation are shown below.
Natto Viscosity modifier A: Polysaccharide containing carrageenan and locust bean gum Viscosity modifier B: Polysaccharide containing dextrin as a main component Seasoning: Liquid seasoning containing soy sauce, glucose mixed with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Water Viscosity modifier A The composition of is shown in Table 1.

The specific manufacturing procedure for natto products is as follows.
Add 10g of viscosity modifier A as a viscosity modifier for natto little by little to 2000g of crushed natto (raw natto), mix for about 5 minutes with a mixing device, and treat the surface of natto with viscosity modifier A. A processed natto product was obtained (natto processing step). In parallel, 666 g of water was first added to 1334 g of seasoning, and while stirring for about 5 minutes with a whisk, 20 g of viscosity modifier A was added little by little as a viscosity modifier for the sauce. Thereafter, the mixture was heated for about 10 minutes until it reached 90° C. to completely dissolve the viscosity modifier A, thereby producing a sauce (sauce production process). Note that stirring was not performed when the viscosity modifier A was dissolved. After dissolving viscosity modifier A, a gelled product was obtained by cooling it to about 50°C over about 30 minutes while stirring slowly, and crushed a part of this gelled product with a spatula over about 1 minute to make a jelly. A semi-fluid sauce was obtained. The obtained natto processed product and the semi-fluid sauce were evenly mixed for about 5 minutes using a stirring device until there were no lumps, to obtain the natto product of Example 1 (mixing step). Approximately 300 g of the obtained natto product was filled into polyethylene bags, and then stored in a freezer (-25°C).

[Example 2 to Example 8, Comparative Example 1 to Comparative Example 3]
For Examples 2 to 8, natto products were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the ratio of raw materials and the type and amount of viscosity modifier were different. In Comparative Example 1, the natto treatment process and the sauce production process were not performed, and natto products were obtained by mixing unsurface-treated natto, seasoning, and water. In Comparative Example 2, the natto treatment step was performed, but the sauce production step was not performed, and the natto product was mixed with a non-fluid liquid sauce (seasoning and water) to obtain a natto product. In Comparative Example 3, while the sauce production process was performed, the natto treatment process was not performed, and a natto product was obtained by mixing unsurface-treated natto and a semi-fluid sauce. In Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the natto and sauce were mixed using a mixing device. Table 2 shows the raw materials used for each natto product (Examples 1 to 8, Comparative Examples 1 to 3) and the evaluation results.

Evaluations of ease of handling and ease of eating were conducted at an elderly care facility. Handling was evaluated on a three-point scale based on how easy it was for nursing home staff to take the natto products out of the container and onto tableware, and how easy it was for nursing home residents to eat them. Handling property is rated as "◎" when both viscosity and stringiness are particularly low (viscosity is particularly weak and the strings break easily), "〇" when both viscosity and stringiness are low, and "good" when both viscosity and stringiness are poor. A case of sufficient stickiness (relatively strong and difficult to break) was judged as "x". In addition, the ease of eating was evaluated on a three-level scale from the viewpoint of swallowability when swallowing after putting it in the mouth. Ease of eating is evaluated as "◎" when the viscosity is particularly low and the bolus is easy to clump together, "〇" when the viscosity is low and the bolus is easy to clump together, and viscosity and ease of clumping are insufficient (stickiness is low). If the food was relatively strong and the food bolus was difficult to hold together, it was judged as "x".

Examples 1 to 8, which are mixtures of processed natto and semi-fluid sauce, are Comparative Example 1 which does not contain a viscosity modifier, Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3 which contains at least one of the viscosity modifiers. However, it showed good handling and ease of eating. In addition, Examples 1 to 5 using viscosity modifier A were superior to Examples 6 to 8 using viscosity modifier B despite having a smaller amount of viscosity modifier. It demonstrated ease of handling and ease of eating (especially Examples 2 to 5). Therefore, it was found that by using viscosity modifier A, the amount of the viscosity modifier can be reduced, which also contributes to cost reduction. In addition, in Examples 1 to 5, even when thawed after frozen storage, water separation did not occur easily, and separation of natto and sauce did not occur.

In Examples 1 to 3, in which only the amount of viscosity modifier A used for surface treatment of natto was changed, when it was 0.5 parts by mass (Example 1), both ease of handling and ease of eating were achieved. When the amount was 0.8 parts by mass or more (Example 2, Example 3), particularly excellent results were obtained. Examples 2 and 3 had particularly low stringiness and excellent ease of handling. In addition, when the amount of viscosity modifier A used in the production of the sauce was 0.8 parts by mass (Example 4), the semi-fluid sauce was softer than when it was 1 part by mass (Example 2), and the mixing process It was easy to mix with the natto processed product and the productivity was good. Further, when the amount of viscosity modifier A used for natto surface treatment and sauce production was 0.8 parts by mass, and 1000 g of seasoning and 1000 g of water were used for sauce production (Example 5), Example We were able to reduce the salt content while maintaining the same ease of handling and ease of eating as 4. Natto products with reduced salt content are particularly preferred because they can be easily consumed by more people, including people on salt restrictions and people who like bland flavors.

In Examples 6 to 8, in which the surface treatment of natto and the amount of viscosity modifier B used to make the sauce semi-fluid were changed, Examples 6 and 7 were easy to handle and eat. In Example 8, the stickiness was suppressed, the consistency was good, and the result was particularly excellent in ease of eating.

Although the natto product of the present invention and its manufacturing method have been described above, the configuration of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Since the natto product of the present invention is easy to handle and eat, it is easily accepted by a wide range of people from children to adults, and is particularly suitable for people with impaired eating and swallowing functions and infants.

1 Mixing device 2, 3 Stirring device 4 Natto products

Claims (8)

A natto product comprising natto and a semi-liquid sauce,
The natto is a processed natto product whose surface has been treated with a viscosity modifier for natto,
A natto product characterized in that the viscosity modifier for natto contains one or more polysaccharides. The sauce includes a seasoning, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier,
2. The natto product according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity modifier for the sauce contains one or more polysaccharides. 3. The natto product according to claim 2, wherein the composition of the viscosity modifier for natto is the same as the composition of the viscosity modifier for sauce. 4. The natto product according to claim 2, wherein the viscosity modifier for natto and the viscosity modifier for sauce contain carrageenan as a main component. The natto product according to claim 4, wherein the natto viscosity modifier and the sauce viscosity modifier further contain dextrin, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum, and contain the carrageenan in an amount of 40% by mass or more. . a natto processing step of surface-treating natto with a natto viscosity modifier to obtain a natto-treated product;
a mixing step of mixing the natto processed product and a semi-fluid sauce;
A method for producing a natto product characterized by having the following. Before the mixing step, a sauce manufacturing step of mixing seasonings, water, and a sauce viscosity modifier, and heating the mixture at 40° C. or higher to dissolve the sauce viscosity modifier to produce the sauce. 7. The method for producing a natto product according to claim 6, comprising: The natto product according to claim 7, wherein the sauce manufacturing step includes a step of dissolving the sauce viscosity modifier, cooling it, and crushing a part of the gelled product obtained by cooling. Production method.

Images