JP3282726B2 - Liquid soup composition containing gel particles and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a novel liquid food soup. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel food-grade liquid soup in which gel-like particles are present.

[0002]

[Prior art] With the development of food culture, development of food materials,
By improving food processing technology, not only taste,
Foods with unique textures have become popular among consumers.

[0003] "Beverages containing granular foods" in which granular foods such as jelly-like grains or "Sano" of citrus fruit are dispersed.
(Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-3773), and "gel-like desserts in which small pieces of jelly are scattered" (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-53902) containing jelly having different (different texture) in jelly. is there. Further, food materials (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-70583) in which jelly balls are mixed in a preservative solution are also used.

[0004] However, these are favored as confectionery or favorite items, and are mainly sweet and sour. For example, soups, noodle soups, soups for instant noodles, etc.
There is no food containing jelly-like grains in the field mainly containing pungent and salty tastes.

On the other hand, as a technique for making jelly of a spicy or salty soup or whole juice, the oden juice which is gel-like at normal temperature or lower, but becomes liquid when heated and eaten (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. JP-A-57-8767), Concentrated soil containing ingredients
A solid soup that solidifies into a jelly-like form and can be dissolved in a liquid state during eating (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-156270).
And used in food sets distributed and sold in the low temperature zone,
Processed seasonings which are mainly for business use and are liquid at room temperature but gel at a temperature of 10 ° C. or lower (JP-A-5-316988).

As a means for preserving a granular gel for a long period of time without sterilizing it without boil sterilization or retort sterilization, there is a method of reducing water activity by adjusting sugar concentration or salt concentration. Although confectionery and drinks may be adjusted by sugar concentration, seasonings such as soup require adjustment by salt concentration for taste.

However, there is still no food that maintains a gel state for a long time at a high salt concentration of 10% or more and maintains a gel state even during eating. This is presumed to be due to the separation of water in the gel due to the osmotic pressure and the collapse of the gel skeleton.
In the case of "oden soup", "solid soup" and "processed seasoning" exemplified as the prior art, the state of eating is a uniform liquid soup, so that the above-mentioned adverse effects are caused. Although it is not restricted by the method described above, it is fatal in a soup in which a granular gel must be contained during eating.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel gel which can be distributed at room temperature, can be stored for several months, and has a favorable taste and texture containing a granular gel at the time of eating. An object of the present invention is to provide a soup composition and a method for producing the same.

[0009]

The object of the present invention is to provide a gelling material containing at least agar, a thickening polysaccharide, sugar, salt and water, and if necessary, a seasoning other than sugar and salt,
The problem is solved by the novel gel-like particles of the present invention obtained by adding a food additive, stirring and dissolving, further heating and heating as needed, mixing at about 85 ° C., and allowing to cool at room temperature.

In dissolving the gelled material, an excipient that assists dissolution may be used depending on the situation.

The gel-like particles of the present invention do not melt even when exposed to hot water of 80 ° C. or higher, and can maintain a solid shape. Therefore, even in a high-temperature liquid soup, it can exist as gel-like particles in a solid state.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The gelled material in the present invention basically comprises agar and a thickening polysaccharide.

The thickening polysaccharides that can be used in the gelling material of the present invention include xanthan gum, locust bean gum,
At least one component selected from the group consisting of guar gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, carrageenan, pectin, alginic acid and salts thereof can be suitably used. In the present invention, it is preferable to use two components, xanthan gum and locust bean gum, as the thickening polysaccharide.

The amount of agar in the gelled material of the present invention is from 10% by weight based on the weight of the entire gelled material.
Preferably it is in the range of 50% by weight. If the amount of the agar is less than 10% by weight, it is not preferable because problems such as difficulty in gelation occur. On the other hand, the amount of agar was 50
If the content is more than the weight percentage, it is not preferable because the gelled material is insoluble in water and the like. More preferably, the amount of agar is in the range of 20% by weight to 40% by weight.
Most preferably, the amount of agar is 31.5% by weight.

The compounding amount of the thickening polysaccharide in the gelling material of the present invention is in the range of 3% by weight to 20% by weight based on the weight of the entire gelling material. If the compounding amount of the thickening polysaccharide is less than 3% by weight, it is not preferable because problems such as difficulty in gelation occur. On the other hand, the blending amount of the thickening polysaccharide is 20
When the content is more than the weight%, it is not preferable because inconveniences such as difficulty in dissolving and formation of a gel having a good taste are caused. The amount of the thickening polysaccharide is preferably in the range of 5% by weight to 15% by weight. 10% by weight of the thickening polysaccharide, and 5% by weight of xanthan gum and 5% by weight of locust bean gum.
Most preferably it consists of% by weight.

The content of the gelling material in the gel particles of the present invention is based on the weight of the whole gel particle composition.
Preferably, it is in the range of 1.5% to 3.5% by weight. When the content of the gelling material is less than 1.5% by weight,
No gel is formed, and gel-like particles cannot be obtained.
On the other hand, when the content of the gelling material is more than 3.5% by weight, the gelling material cannot be completely dissolved in water, and may cause scorching in the step of preparing the gel-like particles.

The gel-like particles of the present invention contain sugar in addition to the above-mentioned gelled material. The content of sugar is 15% by weight to 25% by weight based on the weight of the whole gel particle composition.
Is preferably within the range. If the amount of sugar is less than 15% by weight, the gel strength is low, and the salty taste is too strong in terms of texture and the like, which is not preferable. On the other hand, if the sugar content is more than 25% by weight,
It is not preferable because inconvenience such as inability to dissolve the sugar occurs. The content of sugar is more preferably in the range of 18% to 23% by weight, and most preferably 20% by weight.

The gel-like particles of the present invention contain salt and water in addition to the above-mentioned gelled material and sugar. Moreover, if necessary, appropriate seasonings and food additives can be contained.

The content of salt (ie, salt concentration) in the gel particles of the present invention is preferably in the range of 7% by weight to 17% by weight based on the weight of the entire gel particle composition. . If the salt content is less than 7% by weight,
The long-term storage properties of the gel-like particles may be insufficient. Therefore, in order to simultaneously secure long-term storage property and good texture, the content of salt is more preferably in the range of 10% by weight to 15% by weight. On the other hand, when the salt content is 17
If the content is more than 10% by weight, it becomes hard due to long-term storage and the texture deteriorates. The salt in the gel-like particles of the present invention includes not only a salt added as a simple salt but also a salt derived from a salt contained in a seasoning such as miso or soy sauce. In this specification, the term "preservability" refers not only to spoilage caused by bacteria and yeast, but also to physical properties such as gel hardness, water separation, and color tone, and to palatability and sensory properties such as aroma. Used to include maintenance and retention.

The seasoning which can be used in the gel particles of the present invention means a component excluding sugar and salt. Such seasonings include, for example, sucrose, glucose, aspartame, steviaside, sweet ingredients such as isomerized sugar, umami ingredients such as sodium glutamate, soy sauce, sauces, and all ingredients commonly used in food seasoning. including. These components are appropriately selected and used as needed.

The content of the seasoning in the gel particles of the present invention is 20 parts by weight based on the total weight of the gel particle composition.
Preferably, it is in the range of from 45% by weight to 45% by weight. When the content of the seasoning is less than 20% by weight, the eating of the gel-like particles may give an unpleasant or unpleasant impression. On the other hand, when the content of the seasoning is more than 45% by weight, the taste becomes too deep, which may similarly give an unpleasant or unpleasant impression.

Food additives that can be incorporated into the gel particles of the present invention include, for example, dextrin as an excipient. These are used arbitrarily according to the dissolution state of the gelled material. In addition, as food additives, there are flavors, coloring agents, and the like, and such food additives are described in the official food additive standard by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and are well known to those skilled in the art.

The content of water in the gel particles of the present invention is preferably in the range of 40% by weight to 50% by weight based on the weight of the entire gel particle composition. If the water content is less than 40% by weight, disadvantages such as hardening of the texture of the gel-type soup that has been stored for a long time are not preferred. On the other hand, when the content of water is more than 50% by weight, disadvantages such as the possibility of water separation occurring in the gel-type soup stored for a long time are not preferred.

Next, the method for producing the gel particles of the present invention will be described. First, a gel material is prepared. The gelled material can be obtained by weighing and mixing predetermined amounts of each component. 1.5% by weight to 3.5% by weight
Pre-mix the gelled material with a part of the sugar to be used,
Make a premix. The premix is then added to the total volume of water used and heated to 85 ° C. with stirring to completely dissolve the premix in water.
The remaining portion of the seasoning is then added to the resulting solution and heated to 85 ° C with stirring again. afterwards,
Salt is gradually added to the obtained mixed solution, and the temperature is maintained at 85 ° C. The temperature of the mixed solution to which salt was added was 85
While maintaining at 0 ° C, add all remaining seasonings and, if necessary, food additives and stir well until uniform. Thereafter, the heating is stopped, the mixture is left to cool at room temperature, and gelled. By crushing the gel thus prepared to an appropriate size (for example, about 7 mm square), the gel particles of the present invention can be obtained. The size of the gel to be pulverized can be arbitrarily changed depending on the nozzle diameter of the pulverizer used for pulverization. Further, the shape of the gel-like particles can be arbitrarily changed, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a sphere, an ellipse, and an irregular shape. The gel-like particles can be individually packaged one by one in a suitable packaging pouch together with the concentrated soup separately prepared by an ordinary method. What is important in the production of the gel particles of the present invention is to maintain the heating temperature at 85 ° C. or lower. When the heating temperature exceeds 85 ° C., browning and denaturation may occur depending on the type of seasoning (eg, soy sauce) used, and the quality of gel-like particles as a final product is reduced.
The gel-like particles of the present invention thus produced hardly cause water separation despite the high salt concentration of 7 to 17% by weight, and maintain a solid shape even when exposed to a high-temperature environment. Can be.

By using the gel particles of the present invention, a novel liquid soup having a unique texture can be obtained. Such a soup can contain gel-like particles having a taste of a seasoning liquid based on salty taste in a solid form. According to the present invention, when the concentrated soup is diluted with hot water or the like, the gel-like particles contained in the concentrated soup are dispersed in the diluted soup. The gel-like particles are used not only as ingredients for soups, but also as a kind of soup. According to the present invention,
It is possible to meet not only the taste but also the general consumer's desire for foods with a unique texture.For example, not only liquid soups such as instant noodles, but also miso soup, consommé soup provided at a relatively high temperature, It can be used as an ingredient in various dishes such as borscht, curry, stew, ochazuke, udon juice, buckwheat juice, and oden juice. Furthermore,
The gel-like particles of the present invention can be applied to foods for people who have difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and baby foods, since they have a smooth and pleasant texture and a good throat.

Conventional jellies or gels do not have long-term storage properties at room temperature and usually rot in a few days. Conventionally, high-temperature heat sterilization methods such as boil sterilization and retort sterilization have been employed to prevent this. However, excessive heating causes problems such as disappearance of incense, discoloration due to browning, and attachment of off-flavor due to retort treatment. On the other hand, there is a method of storing and distributing at a low temperature called chilled, but a certain temperature control is required, and it is troublesome and costly. On the other hand, according to the present invention, complicated processes such as the prior art are not required at all, and the boil sterilization and retort sterilization that are troublesome and costly are not performed, and strict temperature control is required. A liquid soup containing gel-like particles that does not cause a water separation phenomenon that can be distributed at room temperature and stored for a long period of time without using a necessary chilled is obtained.

The gel-like particles of the present invention are designed on the assumption that the temperature inside the warehouse of a transport vehicle during summer distribution reaches 50 to 60 ° C.
It is designed to maintain the shape of the granular gel even at this temperature. Furthermore, when the instant cup ramen is re-watered for 3 to 5 minutes, hot water is added, the lid is re-covered and loaded (at this time the temperature is about 80 ° C), and the shape of the granular gel is changed. It is designed to withstand to maintain.

[0028]

The present invention will now be specifically illustrated by way of examples.

EXAMPLE 1 2.5% by weight of a gelling material consisting of 31.5% by weight of agar, 5% by weight of xanthan gum, 5% by weight of locust bean gum and 58.5% by weight of dextrin were mixed with 5% by weight of sugar. To prepare a premix. This premix was added to 49.4% by weight of water and heated to a temperature of 85 ° C. with stirring to completely dissolve the premix. Thereafter, 25% by weight of soy sauce was added, and the mixture was reheated to 85 ° C.
Then, 2.8% by weight of salt was added little by little, and completely dissolved while maintaining the temperature of 85 ° C. Finally, the remaining 15% by weight of sugar and 0.3% by weight of flavor were added at a temperature of 85 ° C. with stirring to prepare a uniform solution. Thereafter, the heating and stirring were stopped, and the solution was allowed to cool at room temperature to gel. The final salt concentration of this gel was 7% by weight.

Example 2 2.5% by weight of gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 5.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor and 4% by weight of water
Using 6.4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 10% by weight.

Example 3 2.5% by weight of gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 8.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor and 43.
Using 4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 13% by weight.
Met.

Example 4 2.5% by weight of gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 10.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor and 4% by weight of water
Using 1.4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 15% by weight.

Example 5 2.5% by weight of a gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 12.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor, and 3 parts of water
Using 9.4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 17% by weight.

Comparative Example 1 2.5% by weight of gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 0.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor and 5% by weight of water
Using 1.4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 5% by weight.

Comparative Example 2 2.5% by weight of gelling material, 20% by weight of sugar, 25% by weight of soy sauce, 15.8% by weight of salt, 0.3% by weight of flavor and 5% by weight of water
Using 1.4% by weight, a gel was prepared in substantially the same procedure as in Example 1. The final salt concentration of this gel was 20% by weight.

Preparation of concentrated soup A concentrated soup consisting of 62.0 ± 2.5% by weight of water, 15.0 ± 1.5% by weight of salt and 23.0 ± 2.5% by weight of soy sauce seasoning liquid is prepared by a conventional method. did.

Preparation of Concentrated Soup Composition Containing Gel Particles The gels prepared in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were each pulverized into 7 mm squares, and 5.0 g of the pulverized material was added to the concentrated soup 10 Together with 0.0 g, the mixture was subdivided and packaged in aluminum patches using an automatic filling machine with a horizontal piston pump manufactured by Komatsu Ltd. to prepare a concentrated soup composition containing gel particles.

Test 1: Preference test The seven types of concentrated soup compositions containing gel particles of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were opened into each container, and 200 ml of hot water at a temperature of 95 ° C. was added to prepare a diluted soup. did. All of the concentrated soup compositions were uniformly dissolved, and the gel-like particles were dispersed in the dissolved and diluted soup. About the obtained diluted soup, 1
A sensory test on taste by 0 panelists was performed. The taste test was conducted by 10 panelists using a 5-point scale (5
Points: very favorable, 4 points: favorable, 3 points: normal, 2 points
(Point: unfavorable, 1 point: very unfavorable). The results of this taste sensory test are summarized in Table 1 below. The evaluation points in Table 1 below are average values.

[0039]

[Table 1]

In the taste test, when the salt concentration was 5% by weight (composition of Comparative Example 1), the gel strength of the gel-like particles was weak and the taste was poor. On the other hand, as the salt concentration increases, the gel strength of the gel-like particles also increases. However, when the salt concentration reaches 20% by weight (composition of Comparative Example 2), the salt tends to be too hard, and the saltiness becomes too strong. The taste also becomes unpalatable. Therefore, it can be understood from the results shown in Table 1 that the salt concentration according to the present invention is preferably in the range of 7% by weight to 17% by weight.

Test 2: Storage Test The seven types of pouch-packed concentrated soup compositions containing gel particles of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 were stored at room temperature.
The storage condition (presence of spoilage and water separation) was observed periodically. The observations are summarized in Table 2 below.

[0042]

[Table 2]

Test 3: Preference test after storage Simultaneously with the observation of the storage state, a taste sensory test was performed on the composition after storage in substantially the same manner as in Test 1 described above. The evaluation score of the taste test after storage was slightly lower than that immediately after production due to the effect of browning. The results are summarized in Table 3 below. The evaluation points in Table 3 below are average values.

[0044]

[Table 3]

In Tables 2 and 3, after one month, the gel-like particles of the composition of Comparative Example 1 also had severe water separation, and the palatability was significantly reduced. The gel-like particles of the other compositions maintained almost the same properties as immediately after production.

After 3 months, the gel-like particles in the composition of Comparative Example 1 had been spoiled, and were excluded from the storage test at this stage. Therefore, no preference test was performed. The sensory test evaluation points of the gel particles in the other compositions tended to decrease in value as a whole, and in particular, the gel particles in the composition of Comparative Example 2 were hard and had poor texture.

Further, after the lapse of 6 months, the gel-like particles in the composition of Example 1 showed water separation,
The gel-like particles in the composition of Example 5 were hardened, the texture was clearly poor, and it was judged to be almost the limit from the viewpoint of palatability, and together with the composition of Comparative Example 2, a storage test and storage were performed. Excluded from post preference tests.

Further, after the lapse of 9 months, the evaluation value of the sensory test of the gel-like particles in the compositions of Examples 2 to 4 was lowered, but the average score was at least 3.5. .

Finally, after 12 months, the sensory test evaluation value of the gel particles in the composition of Example 2 was 3
From the viewpoint of taste, it is very difficult to distribute as a product thereafter.

Therefore, the results shown in Tables 2 and 3 above are summarized. In order to preserve the texture for a long period of time while maintaining a good texture, the salt concentration should be within the range of 10 to 15% by weight. It is concluded that there is a preference.

[0051]

As described above, a novel liquid soup having a unique texture can be obtained by using the gel-like particles of the present invention. Such a soup can contain gel-like particles having a taste of a seasoning liquid based on salty taste in a solid form. According to the present invention, when the concentrated soup is diluted with hot water or the like, the gel-like particles contained in the concentrated soup are dispersed in the diluted soup. The gel-like particles are used not only as ingredients for soups, but also as a kind of soup. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to meet not only the taste but also the general consumer's desire for a food having a unique texture, for example, not only liquid soup such as instant noodles, but also at a relatively high temperature. Provided miso soup, consommé soup,
It can be used as an ingredient in various dishes such as borscht, curry, stew, ochazuke, udon juice, buckwheat juice, and oden juice. Furthermore, the gel-like particles of the present invention have a smooth and pleasant texture,
It can be applied to foods for people who have difficulty chewing and swallowing, and baby foods.

Conventional jellies or gels do not have long-term storage properties at room temperature and usually rot in a few days. Conventionally, high-temperature heat sterilization methods such as boil sterilization and retort sterilization have been employed to prevent this. However, excessive heating causes problems such as disappearance of incense, discoloration due to browning, and attachment of off-flavor due to retort treatment. On the other hand, there is a method of storing and distributing at a low temperature called chilled, but a certain temperature control is required, and it is troublesome and costly. On the other hand, according to the present invention, complicated processes such as the prior art are not required at all, and the boil sterilization and retort sterilization that are troublesome and costly are not performed, and strict temperature control is required. A liquid soup containing gel-like particles that does not cause a water separation phenomenon that can be distributed at room temperature and stored for a long period of time without using a necessary chilled is obtained.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-8-9938 (JP, A) JP-A-10-99059 (JP, A) JP-A-11-253117 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 30780 (JP, A) JP-A-7-322867 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/39 A23L 1/05

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid soup composition containing gel particles, comprising a gel particle having a salt concentration in the range of 7% by weight to 17% by weight and a liquid soup. 2. The gel-like particles comprise at least 1.5% by weight to 3.5% by weight of a gelling material and 15% by weight to 2% by weight of sugar.
5% by weight, and the salt concentration is 7% by weight to 17% by weight.
The liquid soup composition containing gel-like particles according to claim 1, wherein the composition is within the range. 3. The gelling material comprises at least one agar
The liquid soup composition containing gel-like particles according to claim 2, comprising 0.0 to 50.0% by weight, and 3.0 to 20.0% by weight of a thickening polysaccharide. object. 4. The gelling material comprises at least agar 3.
The gel-like particle-containing liquid soup composition according to claim 2 or 3, comprising 1.5% by weight, xanthan gum 5.0% by weight, and locust bean gum 5.0% by weight. 5. A step of preparing a gelling material comprising agar, a thickening polysaccharide, and an excipient added as required; and (b) the gelling material and sugar to be used. Premixing a portion of the premix to prepare a premix; (c) adding the premix into all of the water to be used, heating to 85 ° C. with stirring, and completely mixing the premix in water. Dissolving, (d) adding the remaining part of the sugar to the solution obtained in the step (c), heating the mixture to 85 ° C. with stirring again, and (e) in the step (d). (B) maintaining the temperature of the solution obtained in step (e) at 85 ° C. while maintaining the temperature at 85 ° C. Adding and dissolving all of the sugar and, if necessary, food additives; (g) heating Stopping, cooling the solution obtained in the step (f) at room temperature to form a gel, and (h) forming the gel obtained in the step (g) into an appropriate shape and an appropriate size. A liquid soup composition containing gel-like particles, comprising: a step of crushing into small pieces having gel-like particles to form gel-like particles; and (i) adding the gel-like particles to a liquid soup and packaging. Manufacturing method. 6. The seasoning is sugar and soy sauce, a part of the sugar is mixed with the gelling material in the step (b) to prepare a premix, and the soy sauce is added in the step (d). 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in step (f) all remaining sugar is added.