JP4409479B2 - Instant gelling agent for liquid foods having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5% - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gelling agent for liquid food, and more particularly to an instantaneous gelling agent suitable for instantly gelling a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%. .

  Conventionally, polysaccharides such as sodium alginate and low methoxyl pectin are known as materials for gelling liquid food without requiring heating or cooling treatment. These polysaccharides form a gel by crosslinking with calcium ions in a water system to form a network structure. Further, the gelation rate depends on the calcium ion concentration. In order to adjust the gelation rate, it is necessary to adjust the calcium ion concentration.

Therefore, each manufacturer conducts research to adjust the rate of calcium ion release and quickly form uniform gels.
For example, when a calcium salt with low solubility is used, a method of simultaneously adding an organic acid to promote calcium ion release is employed. In addition, when using a highly soluble calcium salt, a calcium ion sequestering agent is added at the same time to control the release of calcium ions at one time.

Specifically, gelled powders wet-granulated with alcohol containing sodium alginate and dicalcium phosphate, preferably containing calcium ion sequestering agent and / or organic acid are known (for example, (See Patent Document 1).
By adjusting the reaction rate of sodium alginate and calcium ion by controlling the release rate of calcium ion with a calcium ion sequestering agent such as sodium pyrophosphate and an organic acid such as glucono delta lactone, It is a gelled powder that can gel various liquid foods without heating or cooling, regardless of the components and temperature of the liquid food.

However, with the gelled powder, carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages are hardly gelled, and there is room for improvement.
That is, in carbonated beverages, when gelled powder is added and mixed, it overflows with intense foaming, making it difficult to disperse the gelled powder itself and making it difficult to gelate. Also, in alcoholic beverages, it is difficult to completely dissolve the gelled powder. Even if it is well stirred, it does not dissolve completely and precipitates, or even if it can be dissolved by a person familiar with dissolution, As a result, the whole could not be uniformly gelled.

On the other hand, the liquid gelling agent is a kit for coagulating liquid food to swallow it, and is one or more selected from rhomethoxyl pectin, sodium alginate and carrageenan A swallowing auxiliary food comprising a solution containing a thickener and a calcium solution is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
However, the swallowing supplement must be sterilized by heating at 105 to 121 ° C. for 5 to 60 minutes in order to withstand long-term storage after filling and sealing in a desired container. In this heat sterilization, special equipment such as a pressure heat sterilization device (retort sterilization device) is required, and a new equipment investment is required to produce a product. There was a possibility of quality degradation.

Also known is an additive solution for thickening, which is prepared as a fluid liquid by dissolving a paste in water and added to an object containing water to develop viscosity or gelation. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3).
However, although the above-described thickening additive solution can be gelled if the pH of the target product is low, gelation may be difficult when it is near neutral. Moreover, although the said literature 3 describes that this thickening additive liquid is subdivided into either a portion container or a sachet, there is no description about its preservability and no consideration is given.

JP 2003-79325 A JP 2000-325041 A JP 2000-41594 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its object is a carbonated beverage, an alcoholic beverage, etc., as long as it is a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%. Regardless of the type of beverage, anyone can reliably form a uniform gel simply by adding and mixing, and its production does not require pressure heat sterilization at 100 ° C or higher. Is to provide an instantaneous gelling agent that can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time while maintaining quality.

  The purpose of the present invention is to provide a gelling agent comprising a sodium alginate-containing solution and a calcium salt-containing solution that are separately packaged, wherein the sodium alginate-containing solution has a pH of 3.8 to 4.2, and the calcium salt-containing solution. This is achieved by a liquid food instant gelling agent having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%, characterized in that the AW of the solution is less than 0.94.

  Preferably, the AW of the calcium salt-containing solution is 0.89 or more and less than 0.94. More preferably, the calcium salt-containing solution contains a calcium ion sequestering agent, and the calcium ion sequestering agent is more preferably sodium pyrophosphate. Moreover, it is preferable that the solubility of the calcium salt of a calcium salt containing solution is 1500 mg / 100 g or more of water at pH 7.0.

  That is, as a result of earnestly examining the gelling agent that can be gelled only by adding to and mixing with a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 or an organic acid amount of less than 0.5%, It has been found that anyone can surely form a uniform gel instantly if it is in liquid form.

Furthermore, in order to obtain a gelling agent that can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time without quality deterioration, first, attention was paid to the pH of the gelling agent. By doing so, it discovered that pasteurization of less than 100 degreeC was attained.
On the other hand, when the pH of the calcium salt-containing solution is lowered, a large amount of calcium ions are released all at once. For example, even if a calcium sequestering agent is used within the range that does not affect the flavor and appearance, it cannot be completely sequestered, and a uniform gel The problem that can not be formed.
Thus, as a result of investigating the calcium salt-containing solution with a focus on controlling microorganisms without lowering the pH, pasteurization can be performed by making the AW of the calcium-containing solution less than 0.94. The present invention has been found.

Since the instant gelling agent of the present invention is liquid, if it is a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%, it can be added and mixed regardless of the type of beverage such as carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages. Because of its excellent dispersibility, it is not necessary to become familiar with the addition and mixing of liquid foods, and anyone can surely make liquid foods evenly gelled. A certain jelly or alcoholic jelly can be easily handmade and eaten.
Moreover, since it can be easily adjusted to a viscosity suitable for swallowing, carbonated drinks and alcoholic drinks that cannot be eaten by those who have difficulty swallowing can be easily eaten.
In addition, since the sodium alginate-containing solution has a pH of 3.8 to 4.2 and the calcium salt-containing solution is less than AW 0.94, pressure heat sterilization at 100 ° C. or higher is unnecessary, and the quality deteriorates due to sterilization. It is possible to store for a long period of about 12 months at room temperature without any problems.
Furthermore, since no special equipment for pressurizing and heating sterilization is required, no new equipment investment is generated.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail.
The instant gelling agent of the present invention comprises a sodium alginate-containing solution and a calcium salt-containing solution that are separately packaged.
The term “instant” as used in the present invention means that gelation is completed within at least 300 seconds after the gelling agent is added to the liquid food, preferably about 10 to 30 seconds. To do.

  First, sodium alginate used in a sodium alginate-containing solution is obtained by replacing the hydroxyl group of a hydrocolloid polysaccharide obtained by extraction from seaweed with sodium ions. “Kimika Argin IL-2” and the like. Among these, “Kimika Argin I-1” is preferable in that it has an appropriate viscosity and can maintain gel strength while being excellent in dispersibility. These may be used alone or in combination.

It is important that the pH of the sodium alginate-containing solution is 3.8 to 4.2. That is, even when the liquid food is a neutral food such as tea, it can be instantly gelled, and it is possible to suppress precipitation and precipitation of sodium alginate as alginic acid. Dispersibility in the gel is good, and non-uniform gel formation can be prevented. Furthermore, it can be stored for a long time even by pasteurization at less than 100 ° C.
More preferably, a pH of 3.8 to 4.0 is suitable in that an instantaneous property within about 30 seconds is obtained to complete gelation regardless of the type of liquid food.

  The concentration of sodium alginate in the sodium alginate-containing solution is preferably 2 to 10% by weight, more preferably 2 to 5% by weight, from the viewpoint of dispersibility in liquid food, gel strength, and prevention of flavor deterioration. It is.

Next, the calcium salt contained in the calcium salt-containing solution is not particularly limited as long as it has high solubility and is suitable for food. Specifically, it is preferable to use a calcium salt having a solubility of calcium salt of pH 7.0 and 1500 mg / 100 g of water in terms of gelation rate.
Examples of the calcium salt include calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium sulfate, and primary calcium phosphate. Among these, calcium lactate is preferable in terms of flavor and inexpensiveness. Examples of products include “anhydrous calcium lactate” from Showa Kako Co., Ltd. These may be used alone or in combination.

It is important that the calcium salt-containing solution has an AW of less than 0.94 because it can be stored for a long time without sterilization by heating at 100 ° C. or higher. More preferably, it is 0.89 or more and less than 0.94 from the viewpoint of good dispersibility in liquid food.
Examples of the water activity (AW) measuring device include “water activity measuring device WA360” manufactured by Shibaura Electronics Co., Ltd.

The pH of the calcium salt-containing solution is preferably set to 8.0 or more, more preferably 8.0 to 9.0, because dispersibility in liquid foods and instant uniform gel is formed. desirable.
In particular, it is preferable to set a large difference in pH with the sodium alginate-containing solution. Specifically, if the difference is preferably set to 4.2 or more, more preferably 4.7 to 5.2. It is more preferable in that a uniform gel is formed instantaneously.

It is desirable that the calcium salt-containing solution contains a calcium ion sequestering agent. When the calcium ion sequestering agent is contained, calcium ions in the calcium salt-containing solution are sequestered by the sequestering agent, but when added to a liquid food and the pH is lowered, the sequestering power is weakened, and gradually the free calcium ions Since it is released and dispersed, it is preferable in that a uniform gel can be formed instantaneously.
Examples of calcium ion sequestering agents include sodium polyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate and the like. Among these, sodium pyrophosphate is preferable because it has a low calcium ion sequestering power and does not require a large amount of calcium salt. Examples of products include “tetrasodium pyrophosphate (crystal)” from Taihei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

  The concentration of the calcium salt and the calcium ion sequestering agent in the calcium salt-containing solution may be appropriately set depending on the concentration of the sodium alginate-containing solution and the type of the calcium salt and the calcium ion sequestering agent. It is desirable that both of the sequestering agents be 2 to 5% by weight in terms of appearance such as flavor and cloudiness prevention.

In the sodium alginate-containing solution and calcium salt-containing solution according to the present invention, foods such as sugars, acidulants, pigments, fragrances, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals other than calcium, fats and oils, extracts, emulsifiers, etc. You may contain a raw material suitably.
In addition to the above auxiliary materials, the sodium alginate-containing solution may appropriately contain a thickening agent such as rhomethoxyl pectin, carrageenan, gelatin, and starch.

The sodium alginate-containing solution and the calcium salt-containing solution are packaged in separate containers.
As said container, what can be sealed is preferable and specifically, a pouch, a can, a bottle, a plastic bottle etc. are mentioned. The material of the container is not particularly limited, but is preferably heat resistant, and specific examples include synthetic resins.

Next, the instant gelling agent of the present invention is produced, for example, as follows.
<Production process of sodium alginate-containing solution>
After powder-mixing sodium alginate and, if necessary, auxiliary materials such as sugars and acidulants, water that does not substantially contain metal ions such as distilled water and deionized water is added to make the whole substantially uniform. Mix until stirring. At this time, it is preferable to use a high-speed stirrer because the whole is uniformly mixed in a short time.
Next, it is confirmed that the pH of the above mixture is 3.8 to 4.2, and the container is filled and sealed.

<Process for producing calcium salt-containing solution>
After powder-mixing calcium salt and, if necessary, calcium ion sequestering agent and auxiliaries such as sugars, such as distilled water or deionized water so that the AW of the calcium salt-containing solution is less than 0.94 Add water substantially free of metal ions and stir and mix until the whole is substantially uniform. At this time, it is preferable to use a high-speed stirrer because the whole is uniformly mixed in a short time.
Next, the pH of the solution is preferably adjusted to 8.0 or more, more preferably 8.0 to 9.0 with a pH adjuster (sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, etc.).
Finally, the container is filled and sealed.

<Production process of instantaneous gelling agent>
The above-mentioned sodium alginate-containing solution and calcium salt-containing solution that are each hermetically filled are pasteurized.
Examples of the pasteurization include attaching to a hot water tank at 80 ° C. for about 20 minutes.
Next, the two types of separately packaged solutions may be appropriately packed as a set in a container such as a bag or a box.

The instant gelling agent of the present invention thus obtained can suitably gel a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%.
Examples of the liquid food include drinking water (mineral water, deep water, etc.), sports drinks, acidic beverages such as fruit juice, carbonated beverages, neutral beverages (tea, soup, amazake, etc.), alcoholic beverages (beer, sake) Etc.).
These liquid foods may be cold or warm.

In order to gel a liquid food having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5% using the instant gelling agent of the present invention, the following may be performed.
That is, first, a sodium alginate-containing solution is added to a liquid food and stirred to disperse. Subsequently, a liquid food can be gelatinized by adding and stirring a calcium salt containing solution.

  In addition, the instant gelling agent of the present invention can be used to change liquid foods to viscous foods, sol-like foods, semi-gelled foods, gelled foods, etc. Can be changed into foods with various physical properties.

  Furthermore, the instant gelling agent of the present invention is not limited to gelling of existing liquid foods, but also instant confectionery that allows consumers to handmade warabimochi-like confectionery instantly. It can also be used for instant energy foods that can be instantly jellied, for infants who cannot swallow powdered medicines, and for the use of jellies for the elderly.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on examples.

<Examples 1-3, Comparative Examples 1-3>
20 g of a sodium alginate-containing solution adjusted to the composition, pH and AW described in Table 1 and 10 g of a calcium salt-containing solution were filled in a heat-resistant synthetic resin pouch and sealed, and then attached to a hot water tank at 80 ° C. for 20 minutes. The gelling agent was obtained by heat sterilization.
The water activity (AW) in Table 1 is a value measured using a “water activity measuring device WA360” manufactured by Shibaura Electronics Co., Ltd.

<Comparative example 4>
According to the composition described in Table 1, each powder raw material is mixed, 30 parts by weight of 95% ethanol is added to 100 parts by weight of powder, and wet granulation (drying is performed using a 1.2 mmφ screen. Step (fluidized bed drying at 65 ° C. for 3 minutes) After that, 15 g was filled in a synthetic resin pouch and sealed to obtain a gelled powder.

(Confirmation of gelling agent dispersibility and gelation completion time)
The gelling agent and powder gelling agent obtained as described above were added and mixed with 100 ml of carbonated beverage (cola), neutral beverage (green tea) and alcoholic beverage (beer), respectively. Dispersibility and gelation completion time were evaluated by 20 professional panelists. The gelation completion time means the time required for gelation after adding a gelling agent or gelled powder to various liquid foods.

(Storage of gelling agent and gelled powder)
Apart from the confirmation of the dispersibility of the gelling agent and the gelation completion time, the gelling agents of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and the gelled powder of Comparative Example 4 obtained as described above. Was stored at room temperature for 12 months, and the presence or absence of discoloration and rot odor was confirmed.
The above evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

From the above results, the gelling agents of Examples 1 to 3 were able to gel all carbonated beverages, neutral beverages and alcoholic beverages within 300 seconds. Moreover, the dispersibility was substantially favorable and the liquid food could be gelled substantially uniformly. The gelled state is a physical property suitable for swallowing in the mouth with a spoon, and the flavor retains the flavor of the original beverage. Especially for cola and beer, the carbonated and alcoholic feelings are retained. It was. The color tone also did not detract from the original beverage.
In addition, the preservability of the gelling agent was good, and no discoloration and spoilage odor occurred after storage at room temperature for 12 months.
In particular, in Example 1, gelation was completed within 30 seconds in all liquid foods, and good results were obtained in all evaluations of dispersibility and storage stability.

On the other hand, the gelling agent of Comparative Example 1 had good dispersibility of the gelling agent and gelation was completed instantaneously, but the preservability of the gelling agent was poor, and on the 20th day, it started to color and spoiled. I smelled and I couldn't eat it. Moreover, the comparative example 2 was not able to gelatinize the green tea and beer whose pH is high, and also the preservability was also bad. In Comparative Example 3, although the storage stability was good, since the dispersibility was poor, a part of the gel lump floated and a uniform gel could not be obtained.
The gelled powder of Comparative Example 4 had good storage stability, but when it was added to cola and beer and started to stir, it immediately foamed and the gelled powder was pushed out of the container together with the foam. In addition, when added to green tea, the dispersibility was very poor, and it took a long time for gelation, and there was much undissolved and the appearance was damaged.

Claims (5)

  In a gelling agent comprising a sodium alginate-containing solution and a calcium salt-containing solution separately packaged, the pH of the sodium alginate-containing solution is 3.8 to 4.2, and the AW of the calcium salt-containing solution is An instantaneous gelling agent for liquid foods having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5%, characterized by being less than 0.94.   The instant gelling agent for liquid foods having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5% according to claim 1, wherein the AW of the calcium salt-containing solution is 0.89 or more and less than 0.94.   The instantaneous gelling agent for liquid foods having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5% according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calcium salt-containing solution contains a calcium ion sequestering agent.   The instant gelling agent for liquid foods having a pH of less than 6.0 and an organic acid content of less than 0.5% according to claim 3, wherein the calcium ion sequestering agent is sodium pyrophosphate.   4. The instantaneous gel for liquid food according to claim 1, wherein the solubility of calcium salt is 1500 mg / 100 g or more at pH 7.0 and less than pH 6.0 and less than 0.5% organic acid content. Agent.