JP2821863B2 - Sterilization method of dried spices - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to pepper, clove,
The present invention relates to a method for disinfecting dried spices such as nutmeg, and more particularly to a method for disinfecting dried spices that can suppress the disappearance of the fragrance to a minimum and retain the original scent of the spice even after sterilization.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Spices (spices) have a unique scent and taste, and play an important role in improving taste, promoting appetite, and promoting digestion and absorption by being added to foods. At the same time, they also fulfill important functions in food preservation, such as antioxidant properties and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, recently, some interesting functions related to physiological effects have been found, and their multifunctionality has attracted attention.

As spices, plant seeds, fruits, flower buds, bark, rhizomes, leaves and the like are usually used, and most spices are stored in a dried state by the sun and the like. In Japan, many types of spices are imported from tropical regions such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and West Indies, and the spices imported from each country are also locally dried by the sun and other sources. It is shipped in a state that is easy to store. However, spices dried by the sun have many bacteria attached to them, and must be sterilized for processing in food hygiene.

As a method for disinfecting dried spices, it is known that a method of irradiating gamma rays using cobalt 60 or an electron generator can effectively disinfect spices with little loss of aroma. The method is
In Japan, it is not yet permitted.

On the other hand, ethylene oxide gas,
A sterilization method of fumigation with propion oxide gas or the like is also known to be effective.
There is a problem with the retention of secondary derivatives during fumigation and has not been approved in Japan.

[0006] For this reason, at present, in Japan, the instantaneous heat sterilization method using superheated steam flow and the pressurized steam method in which sterilization is performed with pressurized steam and then dried are the mainstream methods for sterilizing dry spices.

[0007]

The instant heat sterilization method and the pressurized steam method each have a high sterilizing ability, and are characterized in that there is no problem in safety. But,
Spices have subtle aromas and tastes, so the heat change caused by heating or crushing the dried spices during the sterilization process is large, causing the problem that the flavor is scattered and the taste changes. Has occurred.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an effective dry spice which has almost no loss of fragrance even during sterilization and does not impair the original fragrance of the dry spice. To provide a sterilization method.

[0009]

The method for sterilizing dried spices according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface of the dried spices is coated with a chitosan film and subjected to a steam sterilization treatment. Objective is achieved.

The steam sterilization is preferably a superheated steam sterilization or a pressurized steam sterilization.

[0011] Chitosan is a product obtained by deacetylating chitin (β-poly-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) found in nature by heating or potassium-melting with a concentrated alkaline solution. Β- which is a polymer
Poly-D-glucosamine. Such chitosan is a substance that is insoluble in water, but soluble in hydrochloric acid and other mineral acids.

The coating film of chitosan is formed by coating a weakly acidic solution of chitosan on a dry spice and drying.

As the weak acid used in the weak acid solution of chitosan, edible organic acids such as acetic acid, malic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and ascorbic acid are used. Ascorbic acid is preferred.

As the weak acid solution, a 0.05 to 20% aqueous solution of the above-mentioned edible organic acid, preferably a 0.5 to 4% aqueous solution is suitable. The concentration of chitosan in the weak acid solution is suitably from 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably from 1 to 2% by weight.

Chitosan used for coating of dried spices has a chitin deacetylation degree of 50-1.
00%, particularly preferably 70-95%. In addition, the molecular weight of chitosan is 5,000 to 5,000,000, especially 30,000 to 40,000.
100,000 is preferred.

The pH of the weak acid solution of chitosan for forming a chitosan coating film is preferably 3.0 to 6.8,
The viscosity is preferably 5 to 600 cps (centipoise), and particularly preferably 50 to 200 cps. The weak acid solution of chitosan is preferably stored refrigerated at a temperature of 2 to 15 ° C.

The coating film of chitosan in the dry spice is formed by spraying a weak acid solution of chitosan onto the dry spice and drying, or by immersing the dry spice in a weak acid solution of chitosan and drying.

As the dried spices, various spices can be mentioned, and in the present invention, application to dried fruit spices and dried seed spices is preferred in terms of effects. Examples of the fruit spices that are the object of the present invention include pepper (white, black, and green), poisable rose, nutmeg, mace, clove, and allspice. Examples of seed spices include mustard, caraway, anise, sesame and the like. Seed spices can be targeted not only for holes but also for rough grinding such as quarters and eights.

[0019]

According to the method for sterilizing dried spices of the present invention, when the dried spices are coated with a highly safe and economical chitosan film, the scent possessed by the dried spices is retained even when sterilized by pressurized steam or heated steam. Is done. However, since the water vapor penetrates the chitosan coating film, the dried spice is surely sterilized. Moreover, the coating film of chitosan is easier to form and work easier than existing food coating films, for example, coating films of decomposed guar gum and gelatin. In addition, there is no problem even if the sterilized dried spices are crushed together with the chitosan coating film and used for food.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

As a coating solution for the dried spice, 2
Various kinds of chitosan weak acid solutions were prepared. One weak acid solution A of chitosan has 1 part by weight of chitosan, 1 part by weight of lactic acid, and 98 parts by weight of water. The weak acid solution B of chitosan has 2 parts by weight of chitosan, 2 parts by weight of lactic acid, 96 water
Parts by weight. Table 1 shows the weight ratio of each of the coating liquids A and B.

[0022]

[Table 1]

On the other hand, as a dry spice, 300 g each of uncrushed fruit-based white pepper and black pepper were prepared. Each of the prepared white pepper and black pepper was placed in a wire mesh container with a lid, and immersed in 1 liter of the stirred weak acid solution of each chitosan for 5 seconds. After air-drying the white pepper and the black pepper taken out of the weak acid solution of each chitosan, 10 g of each is packed in a heat-resistant bag, and the mixture is heated at 120 ° C. for 15 minutes.
Sterilized by steam over a period of minutes.

The white and black peppers coated with the two coating solutions A and B and sterilized with steam were subjected to a bacterial test for general viable bacteria. In addition, each pepper was pulverized with a spice mill to perform a sensory test of the strength of the fragrance. Each coating liquid A
In the case of coating using B and B, the number of general viable bacteria was 6.9 × 10 / g for coating solution A and 6.4 × 10 for coating solution B for white pepper by heat sterilization. / G, and in the case of black pepper, 2.5 × 10 ³ /
g and the coating liquid B were reduced to 2.1 × 10 ³ / g. In each case, the number of general viable bacteria was satisfactory without any problem on food hygiene. Also, the intensity of the scent of each pepper,
The sensory test showed that it was slightly weaker for each of the peppers that had not been coated or sterilized, but hardly changed (strong, ++).
+). Table 2 shows the results.

As Comparative Example 1, white pepper and black pepper not subjected to the coating treatment and the sterilization treatment with chitosan were subjected to a general viable cell test and a sensory test for aroma. In this case, since there was no loss of fragrance because it was not heat-sterilized, the intensity of fragrance obtained by the sensory test of each pepper in this case was used as a reference (strongest, indicated by +++++). In addition, the sensory test in the above example was also evaluated based on this criterion, and in the above example, the intensity of the fragrance was such that it felt slightly weak (strong, +++). As a result of a general viable cell test, the general viable cell count was 7.2 × 10 ⁵ cells / g for white pepper and 1.9 × 10 ⁷ cells / g for black pepper. Therefore, in the above-mentioned example, the number of general viable bacteria decreases in the order of 10 ³ to 10 ⁴ cells / g.

As Comparative Example 2, when a steam sterilization treatment was performed without coating with a chitosan solution, a general viable cell test and a sensory test for aroma were performed.
By the steam sterilization treatment, the general viable cell count was 7.0 × 10 3 cells / g for white pepper and 2.3 × 10 ³ cells / g for black pepper.
g, but according to the sensory test, the scent was considerably lost, and the intensity of the scent was considerably lower than the standard (weak, +).

Further, as Comparative Example 3, when only the coating treatment was carried out with each of the coating liquids A and B and the sterilization treatment was not carried out, a bacterial test and a sensory test of aroma were performed on white pepper and black pepper, respectively. . Also in this case, there was no loss of the scent because it was not sterilized, and thus the scent was the strongest (++++) as in Comparative Example 1. In addition, since no bacterial treatment was performed, the number of general viable bacteria was 8.2 × 10 ⁵ / g for coating solution A and 4.5 × 10 ⁵ for coating solution B in the case of white pepper. / G, in the case of black pepper, the coating liquid A was 1.9 × 10 ⁷ / g, and the coating liquid B was 1.1 × 10 ⁷ / g.

Further, as Comparative Example 4, an unmilled guar gum decomposed product (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., trade name: “Sun Fiber”) was used in the same manner as in the above Example by using a 20% by weight aqueous solution as a coating solution. White pepper and black pepper were coated, and each coated pepper was subjected to steam sterilization under the same conditions as in the above-mentioned example. Each of the coated peppers was mottled with white powder on the surface, and stickiness was observed. By virtue of the steam sterilization treatment, the general viable cell count was 7.9 × 10 cells / g for white pepper and 2.0 × for black pepper.
Although the number was reduced to 10 ³ / g, the aroma was almost completely eliminated in each pepper.

Furthermore, as Comparative Example 5, unmilled white and black peppers were coated using a 2% by weight aqueous solution of gelatin as a coating solution in the same manner as in the above-mentioned Example, and each of the coated peppers was coated. Was subjected to a steam sterilization treatment under the same conditions as in the above example.
By steam sterilization, the general viable cell count was 8.5 × 10 3 cells / g for white pepper and 2.3 × 10 ³ cells / g for black pepper.
Although it was reduced to g, each pepper did not have its own peculiar scent, but felt an unpleasant odor.

Table 2 shows the results of Examples and Comparative Examples.

[0031]

[Table 2]

[0032]

According to the method for sterilizing dried spices of the present invention, the dried spices are coated in advance with a chitosan film and sterilized with pressurized steam or superheated steam. The membrane retains the unique scent of the dried spices, and ensures that the dried spices are sterilized by the steam.
The dried spice is easily coated with the chitosan film by spraying the chitosan solution or dipping in the chitosan solution, so that the workability is not impaired. Chitosan has high safety, and there is no problem even if the dried spices coated with a chitosan film are crushed and served for edible use, and the economics of chitosan itself impair the economics of dried spices. There is no fear.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A23L 1/22-1/237 A23L 1/24 A23L 3/00-3/34 A23B 7/00-9 / 34

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for sterilizing dried spices, comprising coating the surface of the dried spices with a chitosan film and subjecting the dried spices to a steam sterilization treatment. 2. The method for sterilizing dried spices according to claim 1, wherein the steam sterilization is superheated steam sterilization or pressurized steam sterilization.