JP2954490B2 - Method for producing retort ramen and products thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing retort ramen and a product thereof, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a method of discoloring when a retort product is subjected to pressure heat sterilization as an essential processing step. In the past, retort ramen products that had been considered difficult to commercialize due to the quality deterioration problems such as the occurrence of such quality changes were not accompanied by quality deterioration such as discoloration, and the good flavor and texture unique to ramen were retained. The present invention relates to a new method for producing retort ramen that enables easy production of a high-quality product, and a high-quality retort ramen product produced by the production method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, ramen having a unique flavor and texture not found in other noodles is a popular food nationwide, regardless of whether it is a raw noodle type or an instant type. It is a product whose technology is being developed very actively. Today, there are many types of raw noodles and ramen products, and a wide variety of products have been proposed and commercialized.

[0003] By the way, ordinary ramen is prepared by kneading an aqueous solution of an alkali agent into flour when producing the raw noodles.
It is formed into string-like raw noodles, and in the case of dry noodles, it is manufactured by drying it so as to be suitable for storage. Brine is generally used as the alkaline agent, but the mixing of the alkaline agent creates a flavor and texture unique to ramen, and the use of the alkaline agent is indispensable in the production of ramen. It is a process of.

Conventionally, various product developments and technical developments have been carried out for the purpose of improving the flavor and texture unique to ramen, and it is difficult to exemplify all of them. To introduce some examples, for example, as a characteristic of the method of mixing an alkali agent, raw noodles or dry noodles are immersed in boiling water having a pH value increased to 11 to 12 and boiled. (Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 59-48618), which is characterized by adding an alkaline odor flavor by infiltrating the soda.

[0005] In this method, as described above, instead of mixing an alkali agent into the noodle raw material as in the conventional product, raw noodles or dry noodles are immersed in boiling water having a pH value increased to 11 to 12. It is characterized by its boiling point. And in the examples, for example, there is a description that raw noodles and alkali agents are individually packaged and provided as a set, but in this case, the individually packaged alkali agents are mixed into boiling water at the time of use. In addition, the resulting product is clearly classified as ordinary raw ramen, and is not the retort ramen according to the present invention.

Further, as a technique for effectively storing the noodles and the seasoning juice for the noodles for a long period of time, a noodle pack containing the noodles sealed in a bag and a seasoning juice for the noodles are prepared in a single canned product. Noodles and canned seasoning juice characterized by being enclosed in a container (JP-A-2-39864) have been proposed.

This technique is characterized in that, as described above, the noodles are isolated and stored by enclosing the pack of the noodles and the seasoning juice in a single canned container.
The use of a preservative as a food additive can be minimized, the content can be preserved with sufficient mechanical strength, and a product that can withstand long-term storage can be provided. However, the above noodles and canned seasoning juice are
Basically, it is preserved with a preservative, for example,
Although there is an example of Chinese noodles in the examples, since the Chinese noodles are just ordinary Chinese noodles, there is a problem that when they are retort-sterilized, they will inevitably brown. .

[0008] In addition to the above cases, many similar products have been proposed, and all of them have been developed with products unique to each noodle. During the pressurization and heat sterilization of ramen mixed with the agent, the action of the alkaline agent causes the noodles to brown significantly, and their commercial value is greatly impaired. Despite this, it is clear from the fact that no examples have actually been commercialized yet, and it is technically difficult to develop ramen products as retort foods using conventional technologies. And there is therefore a strong demand in the industry to establish new technologies for developing ramen products as retort products. .

[0009]

Under such circumstances, the inventor of the present invention has developed a new ramen product as a retort food which has been technically difficult as described above. As a result of intensive research with the aim of establishing technology, using neutral noodles adjusted to a specific pH range, and applying technology to pressurize and heat sterilize this separately with an alkali agent The present inventors have found that it is possible to reliably solve the above-mentioned problems, and to produce a high-quality retort ramen having no quality deterioration such as discoloration and having a flavor and texture unique to ramen. The invention has been completed.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for producing retort ramen, which makes it possible to commercialize retort ramen which has been conventionally difficult to produce.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing retort ramen that can effectively prevent quality deterioration due to the occurrence of browning observed when subjected to pressure heat sterilization. It is.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-quality retort ramen product that can be stored for a long period of time.

[0013]

The present invention for achieving the above object comprises the following technical means (1) to (8). (1) One space of a container or a bag having two or more independent spaces separated from each other is filled with neutral noodles and sealed, and the other space is filled with an aqueous solution in which a predetermined amount of an alkaline agent is dissolved.
After sealing, the container or bag is subjected to a pressure and heat sterilization treatment, then the isolation is released, and the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkali agent to adsorb the aqueous solution of the alkali agent on the neutral noodle. Method for producing retort ramen.

(2) The method for producing retort ramen according to (1) above, wherein the neutral noodle is a noodle string adjusted to pH 5.5 to 7.3.

(3) The method for producing retort ramen according to the above (1), wherein the container or bag has two or more independent spaces separated by a partition.

(4) The method for producing a retort ramen according to the above (3), wherein the partition part is formed so as to be easily rupturable in all or a part thereof.

(5) The isolation is released, the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent to allow the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent to be adsorbed on the neutral noodle, and then the isolated portion or its vicinity is resealed.
Next, the method for producing retort ramen according to the above (1), wherein the portion filled with the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent is cut off.

(6) The method for producing retort ramen according to the above (1), wherein the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkali agent when the temperature is 60 ° C. or higher.

(7) A retort ramen product produced by the production method according to (1).

(8) A retort ramen product package obtained by integrally packaging the retort ramen product according to the above (7) with one or a plurality of separately attached packages containing a seasoning for ramen and ingredients.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail. In the present invention, as a container or a bag having two or more isolated space portions to be used, for example, a container or a bag having two independent chambers separated by a partition portion is preferably used. In that case, the form and material of the container or bag are not particularly limited, and may be of any appropriate type as long as they can withstand the heat and pressure sterilization treatment. For example, polypropylene, polypropylene and nylon, polyethylene Laminates of terephthalate and the like, laminates of these with aluminum foil, and flexible containers and bags such as aluminum vapor-deposited sheets are exemplified as suitable ones.

As described above, the container or bag needs to have two or more independent spaces separated by a partition or the like for filling neutral noodles and an alkaline agent. What is necessary is just to have at least two independent chambers according to the kind of a sex noodle and an alkaline agent, and the product type. Then, in this case, the two chambers separated by the partition and the like are individually filled with neutral noodles and an alkali agent in each chamber, sealed, and subjected to a predetermined pressurized heat sterilization treatment. Such as by breaking, to release the isolation, and contact the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent with the neutral noodles, it is necessary to adsorb the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent on the neutral noodles, such as the partition part It is preferable that the structure be easily breakable in whole or in part.

The container or bag used in the present invention comprises:
Specifically, for example, a packaging container having an opening at one end and having a storage room separated from the opening by a proper partition capable of individually storing an aqueous solution of neutral noodles and an alkaline agent. Or a packaging bag, having resistance to pressure heat sterilization, and, after the pressure heat sterilization, contact the aqueous solution of an alkaline agent to neutral noodles by breaking the partition,
In order to be able to adsorb the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent to the neutral noodles, the one in which the partition portion is formed to be easily breakable is exemplified as a suitable one, but not limited thereto, for example, independent individual storage. Any container or bag having the same effect as the chamber or bag may be used.

The partition portion may be of any structure and material as long as all or a part thereof is formed to be easily breakable. For example, neutral noodle and an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent may be used. An easily breakable structure or material that can easily break a filled or sealed container or bag by applying a predetermined pressure load from the outside is exemplified. For such a structure, for example, the partition portion is, for example,
As shown in FIG. 2, it is sealed in a continuous crow-mouth-like shape, or as shown in G and H of FIG. Preferably, only those sealed with a seal bar provided with a recess at a depth of μm unit or those in which only the boundary portion is pseudo-sealed are preferred.

Suitable materials for the partition portion include polyethylene, polypropylene and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, PET / Al / PP
It is also possible to form a PE band made of a sealing member inside the packaging bag made of the above laminated material and use the PE band as a partition. In addition, the partition part shown by CE of FIG. 2 is comprised so that a crow-mouth-like shape may be located by the side of the aqueous solution of an alkaline agent, and the said partition part is comprised so that it may be easily broken. , C to E are exemplified as suitable ones, but the present invention is not limited to these, and other structures can be appropriately changed as long as they have the same effect.

As the ramen to be filled in the container or the bag, a normal noodle material is used, and a neutral noodle produced by adjusting the pH from neutral to slightly acidic is used. It is preferable to use neutral noodles adjusted to 5 to 7.3. In general, kneading noodle ingredients such as flour,
The pH immediately after the production of the ramen noodles produced by a conventional method with the addition of brackish water usually shows a value of about pH 9.0 to 11.0, and the pH range is located substantially on the alkaline side. doing.

In the present invention, at this stage, water is not used for the noodle material, or
H is adjusted to produce a neutral noodle, and the neutral noodle is filled in the container or bag. The pH of the noodle ingredients is, for example, citric acid,
The pH range may be adjusted by mixing an organic acid such as malic acid into the noodle raw material. In the present invention, for example, after the noodle making, the pH may be adjusted by immersion in an aqueous solution of the acid, and the method of adjusting the pH is not particularly limited. The other noodle ingredients are not particularly limited, and any noodle ingredients can be used as long as they are used for ordinary ramen noodle ingredients. Further, the form of the noodles and the means for producing the noodles can be variously changed by a conventional method.

Next, the alkaline agent to be filled in the container or the bag may be any one as long as it can be used as a brine added to ordinary noodle ingredients for ramen, and is not particularly limited. Absent. As the alkali agent used in the present invention, for example, potassium carbonate, which is conventionally generally used as a raw material for brackish water, is suitable.
In addition, sodium carbonate, various phosphates, and the like can be used.

These alkaline agents are used in the form of an aqueous solution. In this case, the amount of the alkali can be appropriately changed within a range in which the noodle product in the product stage does not emit an off-flavor. It is used at a ratio of about 0.05 to 3.0 g as a solid alkali content with respect to 100 g of raw noodles.

In order to fill the above-mentioned container or bag with the aqueous solution of neutral noodles and an alkaline agent, the container or bag is filled with
What is necessary is just to fill individually suitably by a conventional method, and after that, the said open end is sealed and a neutral noodle and an alkaline agent are each accommodated in an individual form. In this case, after filling the neutral noodles, it is possible to appropriately reduce the pressure and seal in a vacuum state, and it is also possible to appropriately interpose appropriate components such as edible oil, emulsifier, gelling agent, and flavor. It is.

For the container or bag sealed above,
The heat and pressure sterilization treatment is performed, and the processing conditions in this case may be any conditions corresponding to sterilization at 120 ° C. for 4 minutes or more, and the processing conditions may be appropriately changed depending on the type and quantity of the noodles. It is also possible to
In order to prevent the pressure inside the container from rising during sterilization and breaking the seal at the partition, it is necessary to adjust the pressure inside the kettle while performing the procedure using a retort kettle in the usual manner. Just do it. Further, as the pressure condition after the pressurized heat sterilization treatment, the pressure in the kettle may be gradually reduced under a pressure condition in which the internal pressure of the space filled with neutral noodles is maintained at a pressure equal to or higher than the internal pressure. Needed.

After the above-mentioned pressurized heat sterilization, the isolated state of the neutral noodle and the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent in the container or the bag is released, and the neutral noodle is brought into contact with the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent to form the partition. An operation of adsorbing an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent on the part is performed. For example, as described above, all or a part of the partition formed on the container or the bag may be subjected to a predetermined process from outside the container or the bag. Implemented by breaking under load. By an appropriate operation, by breaking the partition portion, the neutral noodles come into contact with the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent, the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent is adsorbed on the neutral noodles, the alkaline agent is mixed into the neutral noodles, The pH of the noodles rises, and the pH is located on the alkaline side of about 7.5 to 10.0.

When the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent is brought into contact with the neutral noodles, it is preferable to carry out the process when the temperature of the neutral noodles is 60 ° C. or higher, because the alkaline agent easily penetrates the noodles uniformly. Further, after the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent is adsorbed on the neutral noodles, the partition or the vicinity thereof is resealed, and the portion filled with the aqueous solution of the alkaline agent is cut off, as a final product of the container or bag. This is preferable since the appearance is improved.

As described above, in the product stage, the above-mentioned neutral noodles become the same as ordinary ramen exhibiting alkalinity, and have good watering properties corresponding to immediately after the production of ramen having flavor and texture peculiar to ramen. Although a product having a flavor of origin can be obtained, each of the above-mentioned processing operations may be performed individually in each processing step, or may be continuously performed in a series of continuous lines.

The ramen noodle product obtained by the production method of the present invention does not show any deterioration in quality due to the browning of the noodles even after being subjected to pressure heat sterilization, and has a good appearance corresponding immediately after ramen production. The ramen has been considered to be difficult to manufacture in the past, and has a very high industrial utility value as it can be used as a retort product.

In the present invention, as described above, it is possible to make ramen into a retort product by the above-mentioned method.
Alternatively, it is possible to provide a new type of retort ramen product package that can be eaten only by performing a simple cooking operation by being integrally packaged with a seasoning and ingredients for ramen in a liquid state. is there.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a high-quality retort ramen product which has been difficult to commercialize with the conventional technology. As described above, the present invention has a remarkable effect not found in conventional methods for producing ramen and products thereof.

[0038]

Next, the present invention will be described more specifically based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a packaging bag according to the present invention, which is filled with a neutral noodle and an aqueous solution of an alkali agent and sealed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging bag 1 has an independent space portion 2 for storing neutral noodles 4 separated by a partition portion 6 and an independent space portion for storing a brine solution 5. The packaging bag 1 is a flexible type made of a laminated film composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) / aluminum foil (Al) / polypropylene (PP). As shown in C, it is composed of a seal having a seal-like shape that is easy to break and has a crow-mouth shape.

In the figure, A denotes a neutral noodle 4 in an independent space 2 of the packaging bag 1 and an aqueous solution 5 of brine in the independent space 3 to seal a sealed intermediate product. In the figure, B denotes the intermediate product, which is sterilized under the conditions equivalent to 8 minutes at 120 ° C. with an air content of the space 2 of 50%, and predetermined from the outside of the space 3 by a conventional method. 2 shows a final product in a state of alkaline noodles 4 ′ in which an aqueous solution of brackish water is adsorbed on the neutral noodles by breaking the partition 6 to release the two independent spaces. is there. In this case, the packaging bag 1
Inside, the neutral noodles are in contact with an aqueous solution of brackish water, and these are integrally stored in the packaging bag 1. In the figure, the noodle 4 'in B is a high-quality product provided with the same alkali effect as a normal ramen manufactured by mixing with brine and having a flavor and texture unique to the ramen. I understood.

In this example, the packaging bag made of the laminated film was used. However, the same effect was achieved as a result of performing the same operation using a container formed in the same manner. Also, in the figure, the broken partition part 6 'of B is shown.
Alternatively, by resealing the vicinity thereof and then cutting and separating the portion filled with the aqueous solution of brine, a final product having a better appearance can be obtained.

In the figure, the packaging bag 1 indicated by B in the drawing, the separately packaged seasoning containing the seasoning powder for ramen, and the separately packaged ingredient containing the ingredients are manufactured. And a spice in a separately attached packaging bag containing the spice were integrally stored in a package to produce a retort ramen product package that can be easily cooked. The obtained product breaks each of these packaging bags, takes out the contents,
Just adding hot water resulted in high-quality ramen comparable to ramen obtained by cooking in earnest.

[0042]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, neutral noodles are filled and sealed in one space of a container or bag having two or more independent spaces separated from each other, and the other space is sealed. After filling and sealing an aqueous solution in which a predetermined amount of brackish water is dissolved, the container or bag is subjected to pressurized heat sterilization treatment, then the isolation is released, and the neutral noodles are brought into contact with brackish water to water the neutral noodles. The present invention has the following effects. (1) It is possible to provide a retort ramen product having a flavor and texture unique to ramen. (2) It is an object of the present invention to provide a new method for producing retort ramen, which enables the commercialization of retort ramen, which has conventionally been considered to be difficult to commercialize due to the problem of quality deterioration due to browning due to pressurized heat sterilization. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a retort ramen product in a flexible packaging bag according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, A is an intermediate product comprising neutral noodle and an aqueous solution of an alkaline agent filled and sealed in an isolated space, and B is a final product.

FIG. 2 shows a partial structure of a partition sealed in a continuous crow-mouth-like shape. In the drawing, C to F indicate a crow-mouth-like seal structure formed in a concave or convex shape with respect to the aqueous solution side of the alkaline agent.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of a seal bar for sealing a partition. In the figure, G indicates a seal bar having irregularities continuously provided with a thickness of μm unit, and H indicates a seal bar having concave portions provided with a depth of μm unit only in a predetermined portion.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a laminated film constituting a packaging bag. In the drawing, PE indicates a sealing member made of a PE band formed inside a packaging bag made of PET / Al / PP.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packaging bag made of a laminated film 2 Space portion 3 Space portion 4 Neutral noodle 4 'Noodle adsorbing an aqueous solution of an alkali agent 5 Aqueous solution of an alkali agent 6 Partition portion 6' Partition portion broken

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container or bag having two or more isolated spaces separated from each other, filled with neutral noodles in one space and sealed, and an aqueous solution in which a predetermined amount of an alkaline agent is dissolved in the other space. After filling and sealing, the above container or bag is subjected to pressure and heat sterilization treatment, then the isolation is released, and the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkali agent to adsorb the aqueous solution of the alkali agent on the neutral noodle. A method for producing retort ramen, characterized by the following. 2. The method for producing retort ramen according to claim 1, wherein the neutral noodle is a noodle string adjusted to pH 5.5 to 7.3. 3. The method for producing a retort ramen according to claim 1, wherein the container or the bag has two or more independent spaces separated by a partition. 4. The method for producing a retort ramen according to claim 3, wherein the partition part is formed so as to be easily rupturable in all or a part thereof. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sequestration is released, the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkali agent to allow the aqueous solution of the alkali agent to be adsorbed to the neutral noodle, and the isolated portion or its vicinity is resealed. 2. The method for producing retort ramen according to claim 1, wherein the portion filled with the aqueous solution of the agent is cut off. 6. The method for producing retort ramen according to claim 1, wherein the neutral noodle is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of an alkali agent when the temperature of the noodle is 60 ° C. or higher. 7. A retort ramen product produced by the production method according to claim 1. 8. A retort ramen product package, wherein the retort ramen product according to claim 7 is integrally packaged with a single or a plurality of separate packages containing a seasoning for ramen and ingredients.