JP4355007B2 - Grain processed food, grain processing improver and acid odor reducing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for reducing the acid odor of processed cereal foods (rice cooked rice, rice bran, etc.) containing a volatile organic acid such as acetic acid for preserving, and more specifically, for reducing the acid odor. The present invention relates to a processed grain food containing α-ethyl glucoside, a grain processing improver, and a method for reducing acid odor.

In recent years, a so-called “meal” dietary habit has been widespread, where people buy lunch boxes and side dishes sold at supermarkets and convenience stores and take home.
These foods are to be used as a food after a relatively long time since they were manufactured. Therefore, it is necessary to impart storage stability such as prevention of spoilage due to microbial growth, and various processing methods and processing improvers have been developed.
Cooked rice is a typical processed grain food used for meals. An organic acid or a salt thereof is often used as a rice cooking improver for preserving the cooked rice (for example, see Patent Document 1). So-called non-volatile organic acids such as gluconic acid and citric acid and salts thereof may be used, but acetic acid or salts thereof are more effective in terms of antiseptic power.

However, acetic acid tends to impart a unique and pungent acid odor to cooked rice. In particular, when the cooked rice to which the rice cooking improver containing acetic acid is added is reheated with a microwave oven or the like, a strong acid odor is generated and the flavor is significantly reduced.
Usually, an organic acid containing rice cooking improver such as acetic acid has an acetic acid concentration per raw rice of about 0.01 to 0.1% by weight so that the cooked rice has a pH of about 5 to 6 after cooking. Used.
However, the cooked rice in such a state feels acetic acid odor even before being reheated by a microwave oven or the like, and the acetic acid is likely to volatilize by reheating. Has the disadvantage of becoming even stronger.

Therefore, it is excellent in preservative power (preservability), and a method for reducing the generation of an acid odor that is irritating such as acetic acid odor not only immediately after cooking, but also during reheating of cooked rice, a rice cooking improver, Development of cooked rice with reduced generation of acid odor has been strongly desired.
Moreover, the said subject is not a problem only for cooked rice. For example, acetic acid is sometimes used for preservatives in processed foods such as rice bran and boiled noodles, but these processed foods have a pale taste and aroma. There is a drawback that it is easy to damage. Therefore, it has excellent antiseptic power (storability) and improves the processing of grains, a method for reducing the generation of irritating acid odors such as acetic acid odor not only immediately after processing but also when reheating processed cereal foods. There has been a strong demand for development of cereals and processed cereals with reduced acid odor.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-176693

The present invention provides a processed grain food that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, achieves both antiseptic power and reduced acid odor, and further provides a grain processing improver for use in the production of the processed grain food. It is intended to do.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for reducing the acid odor of a processed grain food containing acetic acid for preserving.

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have included a very small amount of α-ethyl glucoside in the processed cereal food containing acetic acid for preserving, so as to immediately after processing the cereal. The present inventors have found that it is possible to reduce the generation of acid odor of acetic acid during reheating of processed cereals and to produce processed cereals with excellent flavor.
Furthermore, the present inventors also found that by adding sake lees, sake lees extract, sake lees vinegar and the like to processed grain foods, it is possible to contain a trace amount of α-ethyl glucoside in the processed grain products as a result. In particular, it has also been found that sake lees vinegar can be effectively used in that a processed grain product can contain acetic acid for preserving and at the same time contain a trace amount of α-ethylglucoside.

That is, the present invention is as follows.
This invention which concerns on Claim 1 contains 0.01-0.06 mass% of acetic acid, and contains 0.00001-0.001 mass% of alpha-ethyl glucoside, It is related with the grain processed food characterized by the above-mentioned. Is.
The present invention according to claim 2 relates to the processed grain food according to claim 1, wherein the processed grain food is a food obtained by combining any one or more of cooked rice, steamed rice, rice bran, and boiled noodles. Is.
The present invention according to claim 3 relates to the processed grain food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the α-ethylglucoside is derived from added sake lees and / or sake lees vinegar.
The present invention according to claim 4 relates to the processed cereal food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mass ratio of acetic acid to α-ethylglucoside is 100 to 0.03 to 100 to 9. Is.
The present invention according to claim 5 is such that the processed cereal food containing 0.01 to 0.06% by mass of acetic acid contains 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass of α-ethylglucoside per cereal processed food. It is related with the method of reducing the acid smell of the acetic acid of a grain processed food by adding.
The present invention according to claim 6 relates to the method according to claim 5, wherein the processed grain food is a food obtained by combining one or more of cooked rice, steamed rice, rice bran, and boiled noodles. is there.

In addition, it is known that α-ethyl glucoside (hereinafter sometimes referred to as ethyl-α-glucoside) is a “flavoring component related to the umami and richness of cooked food” (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei. No. 2-291293).
In addition, β-D-ethyl glucoside is “when added to a food or drink, the stimulating and straight flavor of the food or drink is alleviated, and as a result, a mass feeling is given as a whole, and a rich flavor is enhanced. Is known (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-250644). That is, it has been known that “ethyl glucoside” is a component having a property of affecting the flavor.

  On the other hand, the present invention is not intended to change or improve the “taste” or “flavor” of a food or drink (in the present invention, processed cereal food) as described in the above-mentioned patent documents. More specifically, in the present invention, contrary to the above-mentioned patent document, it hardly affects the “taste”, and at the time of eating after having been circulated at low temperature or normal temperature, the acid odor of the processed grain food. The purpose is to reduce the peculiar acid odor generated when reheated in a microwave oven or the like, and α-ethyl glucoside is used as a means for achieving the purpose. Is. That is, the present invention is neither described nor suggested at all in the above patent document, and can be said to be an invention having a different idea.

  Furthermore, in JP-A-7-250644, the addition amount of ethyl glycoside is exemplified as “addition amount of 0.01 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.05 to 5% by weight with respect to food and drink. In addition, since it is described that “the effect is not obtained when the amount is less than 0.01% by weight”, the amount that can affect the flavor of foods and drinks conventionally. It can be said that it is reasonable to interpret that 0.01% by weight of ethylglycoside is required for food and drink.

On the other hand, the present invention is much less than the amount described in JP-A-7-250644, that is, 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass with respect to food and drink (grain processed product in the present invention). It contains a very small amount that is not expected. This amount is only 1/10 to 1/1000 of the minimum amount disclosed in JP-A-7-250644, which can affect the flavor. In the present invention, acetic acid is not used to enhance or improve the flavor of conventional foods and beverages, to remove bitterness, astringency and other unpleasant odors (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-250644). It is an invention that specifically reduces the acid odor, particularly when the processed grain product is reheated.
In JP-A-2-291293 and JP-A-7-250644, an extremely small amount of ethyl glucoside that hardly affects the “taste” is an acid odor of a grain processed food containing acetic acid, particularly at low temperatures. There has been no disclosure or suggestion that the acid odor generated when reheated in a microwave oven or the like during eating after being distributed at room temperature can be significantly reduced.
That is, the present invention is an invention that is completely different from the invention described in the above-mentioned patent documents, and needless to say, the invention is not easily conceivable from these known inventions.

According to the present invention, processed grain products (cooked rice, steamed rice, boiled rice, boiled noodles, etc.) with excellent antiseptic power (preservability), which are not only immediately after processing but also after being distributed at low or normal temperature In particular, it is possible to provide a processed grain product with reduced acid odor that is felt during reheating, particularly with a microwave oven or the like.
Moreover, the grain processing improving agent which becomes possible to manufacture the said grain processed material can be provided.
Furthermore, the method of reducing the acid odor of the processed grain food containing acetic acid for preserving can be provided.

The grain processed food in the present invention refers to food processed by humans by processing grains such as rice, barley, wheat, beans, corn and the like. For example, cooked rice obtained by processing rice to cooked rice, raw noodles obtained by kneading wheat flour with water, or boiled noodles obtained by subjecting dried noodles to boiled rice. Others include processed cereal foods that are pale in taste and aroma, such as steamed rice, rice bran, and bread. In this invention, it is preferable that it is any 1 type or 2 or more types of cooked rice, steamed rice, rice bran, and boiled noodles among these, and especially cooked rice is the most preferable.
The product form of the processed grain food in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is distributed and sold at normal temperature or low temperature, and is heated to normal temperature or high temperature with a heating cooker such as a microwave oven when eating, that is, a convenience store, a supermarket Lunch boxes, rice balls, cooked noodles, etc. sold mainly at sushi and take-out side dishes stores, etc., mainly include lunch boxes and rice balls.

As a method for containing acetic acid in the present invention, acetic acid may be contained as a single substance, or acetic acid may be contained as a result by adding and containing a food containing acetic acid. . For example, acetic acid can be contained in the processed cereal food by means such as adding vinegar to the processed cereal food.
Acetic acid may be contained in the grain processing stage, or after the grain is processed and before eating. For example, in cooked rice, an appropriate amount of vinegar or the like may be added and contained at the time of cooking, or vinegar-containing water or the like may be sprinkled and contained after cooking. In addition, it is more preferable to add at the time of rice cooking so that the cooked rice may have a preservative effect uniformly. The same applies to other processed grain foods such as boiled noodles.

  The acetic acid content needs to be 0.01 to 0.06% by mass, preferably 0.02 to 0.05% by mass, based on the processed cereal food. If it is more than 0.06%, the acidity and acid odor will be strong, and the original flavor of the processed cereal food will be impaired. On the other hand, if the content is less than 0.01%, a sufficient antiseptic effect cannot be obtained.

Moreover, as the pH of the processed grain food, the range is determined by the desired taste and antiseptic effect and cannot be defined unconditionally, but considering that it has both, the pH may be 5.0 to 6.2. It is suitable, and more preferably 5.2 to 5.8. If the pH is lower than 5.0, there is a possibility that the acidity will be strong, and the original taste of the processed cereal food will be impaired. On the other hand, if the pH is higher than 6.2, the antiseptic effect may not be sufficiently obtained.
It should be noted that processed cereal foods that do not bother the sourness and acid odor, such as vinegared rice used for sushi, normally have an acid odor, so it is not necessary to use the present invention. It must be distinguished from processed grain foods. Therefore, in the present invention, the acetic acid content is limited to a predetermined range.

The α-ethyl glucoside used in the present invention is a product in which an ethyl group is α-bonded to glucopyranoside, and is not only produced by chemical synthesis but also contained in a small amount in alcoholic beverages and sake lees such as sake and mirin. Are known.
As a method of adding α-ethyl glucoside to processed grain foods, α-ethyl glucoside may be added as a single substance, or food or additives containing α-ethyl glucoside may be included. As a result, α-ethylglucoside may be contained. For example, as a food containing α-ethyl glucoside, means such as adding sake, sake lees, sake lees vinegar and the like to the processed grain food can be used. In particular, the food containing α-ethyl glucoside is preferably one or more of sake lees and sake lees vinegar.

  Moreover, (alpha) -ethyl glucoside may be contained in a grain processing stage, and may be contained after the grain processing until it eats. For example, in cooked rice, a proper amount of sake or sake lees may be added together with acetic acid-containing foods such as vinegar during cooking. Of course, a liquid containing α-ethyl glucoside may be mixed after cooking, but it is preferable to add it at the time of cooking rice so that the cooked rice has an acid odor reducing effect uniformly.

  Moreover, the processed grain food of the present invention can also be produced by adding both substances by adding sake vinegar containing both α-ethylglucoside and acetic acid to the processed grain food. preferable. For example, in cooked rice, both α-ethyl glucoside and acetic acid can be contained by adding an appropriate amount of sake vinegar during cooking. Of course, if the amount of α-ethyl glucoside or acetic acid is less than the amount that exerts the effect of the present invention, α-ethyl glucoside or acetic acid may be additionally added by a separate method.

  As the content of α-ethyl glucoside, a trace amount that hardly affects the “taste” is contained, and specifically, it is preferably 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass per processed grain food, More preferably, 0.0001-0.001 mass% is good. When it is more than 0.001% by mass, it becomes easy to feel the taste peculiar to α-ethyl glucoside, and the taste and aroma tend to deteriorate the original flavor of the processed cereal food. On the other hand, when the amount is less than 0.00001% by mass, it is difficult to sufficiently obtain the effect of reducing the acid odor.

  The mass ratio of acetic acid and α-ethyl glucoside content is preferably such that the former vs. latter is in the range of 100 to 0.003 to 100 to 9, more preferably 100 to 0.3 to 100. Pair 9. This is because if the ratio of α-ethyl glucoside is larger than the above ratio, it is easy to feel the taste peculiar to α-ethyl glucoside, and if it is small, it is difficult to sufficiently obtain the effect of reducing the acid odor.

  The present invention aims to reduce the acid odor of processed cereal foods, and is particularly effective by reducing the acid odor caused by volatilization of acetic acid immediately after heat processing and / or when reheated. Demonstrate. For example, if products such as white rice, rice balls, lunch boxes, etc. using cooked rice containing vinegar in the cooked rice for preservatives are reheated in a microwave oven, etc. after being distributed at low or ordinary temperatures, When you open the mouth, a stuffy acid odor may make your nose. This is because acetic acid contained in vinegar is volatilized by reheating, and it is an acid odor that is difficult to feel at low and normal temperatures.

The present invention also includes a grain processing improver used in processing to reduce the acid odor of the processed grain food as well as the processed grain food as the final product. For example, α-ethyl glucoside may be mixed with an appropriate amount of water. Furthermore, acetic acid may be contained together with α-ethyl glucoside so as to have the predetermined ratio, organic acids such as citric acid and sodium acetate, organic acid salts, saccharides such as reduced syrup, etc. It is good also as a rice cooking improver which contains together and gave a plurality of functions.
In particular, adding sake lees vinegar during grain processing (such as before cooking rice) includes acetic acid, which is a volatile organic acid having an antiseptic effect, and α-ethyl glucoside, which has an acid odor reducing effect, in the predetermined ratio. It is effective in that it can be contained. Therefore, sake lees vinegar can be used effectively as a grain processing improver. Further, for example, what contains 0.01 to 0.06% by mass of acetic acid and 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass of α-ethyl glucoside can be used as a grain processing improver. In this case, a known excipient may be used, and as described above, it contains an organic acid such as citric acid or sodium acetate, an organic acid salt, or a saccharide such as reduced syrup, It is good also as what gave the function of.

  In the present invention, α-ethyl glucoside is added to a processed cereal food containing 0.01 to 0.06% by mass of acetic acid so as to contain 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass of the processed cereal food. Thus, the acid odor of acetic acid in the processed grain food can be effectively reduced, and the processed grain food with reduced acid odor of acetic acid can be produced.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Example 1 (Acid odor reduction effect of α-ethyl glucoside in acetic acid-containing cooked rice)
(1) Cooked white rice containing acetic acid and α-ethylglucoside 300 g of raw rice (Koshihikari from Shiga Prefecture) was washed and immersed in water for about 2 hours. Next, after draining, the mixture was put into a 5 rice kettle household rice cooker and 340 g of water was added to 0.2 g of glacial acetic acid and a predetermined amount of α-ethyl glucoside shown in Table 1 (amount shown in Table 1: The liquid in which 0 to 0.007 g) was dissolved was added and stirred, and then heated and cooked by a conventional method. Then, heating was stopped and the cooking of rice was completed through a steaming process for 30 minutes.
The cooked rice thus prepared had a weight of 660 g after cooling and was filled in a 150 g packed container to obtain white rice.

(2) Evaluation of acid odor at the time of reheating by a skilled sensory inspector After storing the white rice prepared in the above process at 20 ° C. for 24 hours, it is heated in a microwave oven at 500 W for 1 minute, and in a state of 90 ° C. or higher, The degree of each acid odor was evaluated according to the following criteria by our expert sensory inspector. The results are shown in Table 1.
In Table 1, the concentration of acetic acid and α-ethyl glucoside contained in the prepared cooked rice depends on the added amount (g) of acetic acid and α-ethyl glucoside relative to the weight (g) after cooling of the prepared cooked rice. Indicated by mass%.

[Evaluation criteria for acid odor]
○: Little acetic acid odor △: Little acetic acid odor ×: Strong acetic acid odor

As apparent from Table 1, it was confirmed that the acid odor was clearly reduced in the acetic acid-containing cooked rice to which α-ethylglucoside was added as compared with the additive-free one.
Such an effect of reducing the acid odor is recognized even when the content of α-ethyl glucoside is 0.00001% by mass, but it is clearly remarkable particularly when the content is 0.0001 to 0.001% by mass. became.

Example 2 (Comparison of acid odor reduction effect by food containing α-ethyl glucoside)
Based on the results of Example 1, the acid odor reduction effect of the food containing α-ethyl glucoside was verified.
(1) Cooked white rice to which food containing acetic acid and α-ethyl glucoside was added 300 g of raw rice (Koshihikari produced in Shiga Prefecture) was washed and immersed in water for about 2 hours. Next, after draining, the mixture is put into a 5 rice kettle household rice cooker, and after adding 340 g of water, as shown in Table 2, acetic acid or a food containing acetic acid and a food containing α-ethyl glucoside are added. After stirring, the rice was heated and cooked by a conventional method. Then, heating was stopped and the cooking of rice was completed through a steaming process for 30 minutes. The cooked rice thus prepared had a weight of 660 g after cooling and was filled in a 150 g packed container to obtain white rice.
In this experiment, “Sake lees” made by Haruyoshi Kobayashi Co., Ltd. was used as the sake lees, and “Yuyasu” made by Mitsukannakanos was used as the sake lees vinegar.

(2) Evaluation of acid odor at the time of reheating by a skilled sensory inspector As in Example 1, after storing the white rice prepared in the above steps at 20 ° C. for 24 hours, it was heated in a microwave oven at 500 W for 1 minute, In a state of 90 ° C. or higher, our skilled sensory inspector evaluated the degree of each acid odor. The results are shown in Table 2.
In Table 2, the sake lees added section was obtained by adding 0.0001% by mass of α-ethylglucoside to the prepared cooked rice by adding 0.04 g of “Sake lees”. In the sake vinegar addition group, 4.8 ml of “Yuyi” was added, and 0.03% by mass of acetic acid and 0.0002% by mass of α-ethylglucoside were simultaneously added to the prepared cooked rice.

  As is apparent from Table 2, it was confirmed that the acid odor was clearly reduced compared to the non-added food when the food containing α-ethyl glucoside was added.

According to the present invention, it is a processed grain product (cooked rice, steamed rice, boiled rice, boiled noodles, etc.) excellent in antiseptic power (preservative), and not only immediately after processing but also after being distributed at low temperature or normal temperature. It is possible to provide an unprecedented food, such as a processed grain product, which has reduced acid odor when eaten, particularly when reheated by a microwave oven or the like.
In addition, it is possible to provide an unprecedented grain processing improver capable of producing the processed grain product.
Furthermore, it is possible to provide a method for reducing the acid odor of a processed grain food containing acetic acid for preserving.
Therefore, the present invention can be effectively used in the food industry.

Claims (6)

  A processed grain food comprising 0.01 to 0.06% by mass of acetic acid and 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass of α-ethylglucoside.   The processed cereal food according to claim 1, wherein the processed cereal food is a food obtained by combining one or more of cooked rice, steamed rice, rice bran, and boiled noodles.   The grain processed food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the α-ethylglucoside is derived from added sake lees and / or sake lees vinegar.   The processed grain food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mass ratio of acetic acid to α-ethylglucoside is 100 to 0.03 to 100 to 9.   By adding α-ethyl glucoside to the processed cereal food containing 0.01 to 0.06% by mass of acetic acid so as to contain 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass of the processed cereal food, A method for reducing the acid odor of acetic acid. The method according to claim 5, wherein the processed grain food is a food obtained by combining one or more of cooked rice, steamed rice, rice bran, and boiled noodles.