JP7115732B2 - Agar composition, food containing agar composition, and agar soluble agent - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an agar composition that can be easily dissolved in low-temperature water, a food containing the agar composition, and an agar soluble agent.

Agar is a polysaccharide that is extracted with hot water from red algae such as Amakusa and Gracilaria, and is purified, dehydrated, and dried. Agar is a thermoreversible hydrocolloid that dissolves in hot water to form a sol and solidifies into a gel upon cooling. The solidification temperature of an aqueous solution with an agar concentration of 1.5%, that is, the gelation temperature is 35 to 45°C, and the melting temperature of the gel is 80°C or higher. It gels even without it, and the gelled jelly is characterized by not melting at room temperature.

The mechanism of gelation of agar is considered as follows. That is, the molecules of agar exist as random coils with a high degree of freedom. It is known that helical molecules associate to form a three-dimensional network structure. A characteristic feature of agar is that it must be heated to a higher temperature in order to turn it into an aqueous solution once it has become a gel. 60°C.

Various agar solubilization techniques applying such sol-gel transition of agar have been studied, and are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, for example.

Normally, agar is produced by cooling a hot water-extracted sol to form a gel, then dehydrating and drying the gel to form a dry matter. Since the agar sol is dehydrated and dried as it is without cooling, the molecular form before the agar molecule transitions to a double helix is maintained, and therefore it can be easily dissolved.

Patent Document 3 discloses dextrin and inulin having a DE of 18 or less, and an agar-solubilizing agent mainly composed of one or more of these sugar alcohols. Example 2 describes that a low-temperature easily soluble agar was prepared by heating and dissolving an agar-solubilizing agent and agar in water, followed by drying with a drum dryer at a surface temperature of 120°C.

Japanese Patent No. 1520304 Japanese Patent No. 2036090 Japanese Patent No. 4727427

However, the quick-dissolving agar of Patent Documents 1 and 2 theoretically dissolves at a temperature higher than the temperature range in which the sol-gel transition occurs, for example, 50°C or 60°C, but in reality, it hardly dissolves unless it exceeds 80°C. I can't. This is because the concentration of the agar increases and the agar is concentrated when the quick-dissolving agar is produced by spray drying, drum drying, etc., so that the agar molecules are overlapped and entangled when dried. it is conceivable that. For this reason, the agar molecules form a dense molecular mass, and when this dissolves the quick-dissolving agar, the outermost agar molecule dissolves, causing a lump phenomenon that prevents hot water from penetrating into the interior. As a result, a higher temperature than the theoretical melting temperature, eg, 80° C., is required for melting.

The low-temperature easily soluble agar using the agar-easily soluble agent described in Patent Document 3 has little entanglement of the dissolved agar molecules, and can prevent the generation of lumps, thereby easily dissolving in low-temperature water. making it possible. The low-temperature readily soluble agar has a solubility rate of 95.4% in water at 60° C. (Example 10), but there is room for further investigation to obtain high solubility in water at a lower temperature.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an agar composition that can be easily dissolved in low-temperature water, a food containing the agar composition, and an agar soluble agent. .

The present inventors have made intensive studies to solve the above problems, and as a result, an agar composition having a structure in which molecules of agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000, and a polymerized phosphate are entangled. As a result, the inventors have found that they can be easily dissolved in water at a low temperature of 45 to 60°C with a high dissolution rate, leading to the present invention.

That is, the agar composition according to the present invention is characterized by having a structure in which molecules of agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800,000, and polymerized phosphate are entangled with each other.

Further, the agar composition according to the present invention is obtained by adding agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000 and a polymerized phosphate to water and dissolving it by heating, and the structure transition due to the gelation of the agar. It is characterized by being obtained by drying at a temperature that does not occur.

The agar soluble agent according to the present invention is characterized by containing a starch hydrolyzate and a polymerized phosphate having a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 to 800,000.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an agar composition that can be easily dissolved in low-temperature water, a food containing the agar composition, and an agar soluble agent.

The “structure in which molecules are intertwined with each other” in the present invention will be described. In the solution state, the straight-chain polymer of agar has a degree of freedom as a random coil. end up At this time, when a starch hydrolyzate with a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000 enters between the agar molecules, the entanglement between the agars is relaxed, and the agar and the starch hydrolyzate form a "structure in which the molecules are entangled with each other." . Since the starch hydrolyzate can be dissolved in cold water, the agar molecules are spaced apart from each other and become sparse, thereby helping the dissolution of the agar itself. In addition, polymerized phosphate acts on agaropectin containing sulfate groups, pyruvate groups, and the like to help dissolve agar. Polymerized phosphate is also more soluble when entangled with agar molecules.

The weight average molecular weight of agar is preferably 30,000 to 1,000,000, more preferably 80,000 to 800,000, and even more preferably 200,000 to 500,000.

A starch hydrolyzate is obtained by hydrolyzing starch with an acid or an enzyme, and examples thereof include dextrin, maltodextrin, cyclodextrin, and starch syrup. Known starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, and sweet potato starch can be used as the starch.

The structure of the dextrin is not particularly limited, and may be linear, branched, or cyclic.

The starch hydrolyzate has a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 to 800,000, preferably 10,000 to 500,000.

The content of starch hydrolyzate for forming a gel is preferably 10:1 to 1:3% by weight, preferably 5:1 to 1:1% by weight, based on the weight ratio of agar to starch hydrolyzate. and more preferably 3:1 to 1:1% by weight.
The content of the starch hydrolyzate for inhibiting gelation is preferably 1:3 to 1:10% by weight, preferably 1:3 to 1:5% by weight, relative to the entire agar composition. is more preferred.

As the polymerized phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, or the like can be used, and among them, sodium hexametaphosphate is preferable.

The content of the polymerized phosphate is preferably 1 to 10% by weight, more preferably 2 to 8% by weight, even more preferably 3 to 6% by weight, based on the weight of the agar.

The agar composition according to the present invention is prepared by adding agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000, and a polymerized phosphate to water and dissolving it by heating, using a solubilization technique (drum drying, spray drying, etc.). can be obtained by drying at a temperature at which structural transition due to gelation of agar does not occur.

The temperature for dissolving the agar, the starch hydrolyzate and the polymerized phosphate by heating may be any condition that normally dissolves the agar, preferably boiling (100° C.). Alternatively, after boiling and dissolving the agar, the starch hydrolyzate and polymerized phosphate may be added and dissolved. Also, agar may be dissolved under pressure at 100 to 130° C. as long as it is not hydrolyzed.

The agar composition according to the present invention is preferably in the form of powder, granules, particles or flakes. In order to easily dissolve the agar composition in foods, powder or granules are more preferable than particles or flakes. As a drying method for obtaining a powdery agar composition, drum drying, spray drying, vacuum drying, vacuum belt drying, extruder and the like can be employed. Granular means a powdery agar composition granulated by a granulator or the like. Granules can be produced by known methods such as fluidized bed, extrusion, and stirring. Granules are less likely to clump during dissolution and can facilitate dissolution. Particulate refers to particles having an average particle size of greater than 500 μm. The flake-like refers to what is generally called flake-like, such as a scaly shape, a porous material with a specific gravity of 0.3 or less, and the like.

The drying temperature is a temperature at which structural transition due to gelation of agar does not occur, that is, 45 to 180°C, preferably 60 to 150°C, more preferably 80 to 130°C. When drying is performed at a temperature at which agar gels, agar molecules become double-helical molecules, which associate to form a three-dimensional network structure, which dissolves in water at a low temperature of 45-60°C. It becomes difficult.

Drying is preferably carried out so that the moisture content of the agar composition is 20% or less. The water content of the agar composition is more preferably 15% or less, even more preferably 10% or less.

The agar composition according to the present invention can have a weight ratio of agar to starch hydrolyzate of 10:1 to 1:3. By setting the weight ratio of the agar to the starch hydrolyzate within the above range, it becomes easier to dissolve in water at a low temperature of 45 to 60° C., and a gel can be formed.

Also, in the agar composition according to the present invention, the weight ratio of agar to starch hydrolyzate may be 1:3 to 1:10. If this ratio is greater than 1:10, the amount of agar will be too small and the agar will not solidify. By setting the weight ratio of the agar to the starch hydrolyzate within the above range, the gel strength of the agar can be prevented from increasing, and a pasty gel can be obtained. Unlike low-strength agar, which is a pasty gel in which agar molecules are cut, the agar composition according to the present invention undergoes gelation inhibition while the agar molecules remain dissolved for a long time. As a result, for example, when the starch hydrolyzate is reduced in molecular weight with an enzyme or acid, or when the action of polymerized phosphate is blocked with salt or protein and heated, the original gel strength of agar can be restored. can be done.

The agar composition obtained as described above has a structure in which molecules of agar, starch hydrolyzate and polymerized phosphate are entangled with each other. Agar molecules are in a random coil state without gel transition. By having such a structure, the agar composition according to the present invention has characteristics as a paste-like gel because the gel strength of agar is inhibited in addition to the effect of low-temperature solubility. When starch hydrolyzate and polymerized phosphate are simply mixed with agar powder that is easily soluble by itself, the agar molecules overlap and become entangled, making it difficult to dissolve in water at a low temperature of 45 to 60°C. Become.

The agar composition according to the invention can be dissolved in water at 45° C., for example, at a concentration of 1.5%. That is, the gel strength obtained by dissolving in water at 45° C. and then cooling and solidifying is approximately the same as the gel strength obtained by boiling, completely dissolving, and then cooling and solidifying.
In other words, the agar composition according to the present invention can be dissolved at temperatures above 35-45° C., the sol-gel transition temperature of agar.

Conventional agar cannot be directly dissolved in a sugar solution unless the sugar content is 45 to 50 or less, so when obtaining a high sugar content agar solution, it was necessary to dissolve it in water or a low sugar content solution and boil it down. For this reason, the heat history is long, and there is a problem that the product is greatly damaged, for example, deterioration of functional ingredients and proteins, discoloration, generation of odor, and the like. In particular, dairy products are browned due to Maillard reaction due to reducing sugar components. When the heating temperature is high or the heating time is long, the Maillard reaction tends to occur. The dissolution rate of the agar composition according to the present invention in milk is 95% in about 1 minute in milk at 70°C. On the other hand, conventional agar does not dissolve easily even if it is added to milk at 95°C and heated for 20 minutes.
In addition, there is also a problem that it is difficult to boil down a highly viscous material. For example, gelatinizing materials such as starch are difficult to boil down, and the increased viscosity hinders the dissolution of agar, which tends to make gelatinization even more difficult.

The agar composition according to the present invention can be directly dissolved in a sugar solution having a sugar content of 65 or more, or in some cases, 75 or more. Since it does not need to be boiled down, it can be directly kneaded with other materials using an extruder or the like and dissolved at low moisture content, making it possible to produce the same as gummies. The agar composition according to the present invention can be easily dissolved in foods containing a large amount of solids such as starch, and by imparting the physical properties of agar, the texture can be improved.

Foods containing the agar composition according to the present invention include various foods to which agar can be added. fees, etc.

In particular, the agar composition according to the present invention can be used as an injection agent for the purpose of retaining water and binding meat products such as ham, and can be dissolved in the same manner as materials such as carrageenan that are dissolved by pasteurization (for example, 75 ° C.). It can be used for applications that were not possible with the agar of Furthermore, the effect can be exhibited even in a low-moisture, high-solids system such as cheese food as a dairy product. In particular, the applications for which it was difficult to obtain the effects of the prior art, and where the effects of the present invention can be exhibited are described below.

(Livestock meat and fish products)
Among boneless hams and roast hams, relatively low-priced hams are made by injecting pickling liquid, in which soybean protein, phosphate, seasoning liquid, carrageenan, etc. are dispersed in water, into the meat to increase the yield. This meat is stuffed into casings and heat treated at 70-80°C. At this time, carrageenan or the like that can be dissolved at this temperature (70 to 80° C.) dissolves evenly, holds the meat juices, becomes jelly in the meat tissue when cooled, and contributes to water retention and texture. Conventionally, agar does not melt unless it is heated to a high temperature. The agar composition according to the present invention solves this problem, can be easily injected, and can be melted even when heated to 70° C. to exhibit its function. In addition, the gelled agar is more heat-resistant than carrageenan, and the original taste of meat is also good. Similarly, wieners and bacon are also effective.
On the other hand, fish meat products can be used by kneading the agar composition with fish surimi, starch, phosphates, seasonings, etc., and water. This kneaded fish meat is filled into a casing, clipped and then heat-treated. At this time, the agar composition is easily dissolved and gelled by the cooling process. The sausage using the agar composition has an improved texture, which is a dry texture caused by conventional protein denaturation, and also has a good taste, which can lead to an improvement in quality.

(Sauce, pickles, seasonings)
Thickeners such as starch and tamarind used in tsukudani, etc., and agar sauce are used to prevent dripping by entangling with the tsukudani ingredients. In particular, agar is effective as a material that gives luster. However, it is not easy to dissolve agar compared to other polysaccharides. In general, ingredients and seasonings are mixed together and boiled down, but agar cannot be dissolved in a solution with a high salt content and a high sugar content, so it must be dissolved in water separately before adding it. For this reason, labor and boiling time are required. In the agar composition according to the present invention, the boiling down time can be shortened because it dissolves directly at a high sugar content. Similarly, it can be widely applied to sauces for grilled meat, Chinese sauces, and the like.
Agar is a difficult material to use for dressings because it gels after dissolving. For this reason, low-molecular-weight agar with weak coagulation power has been developed and used. However, there are problems such as weak water retention and easy gravity separation. On the other hand, the paste of the agar composition according to the present invention, which is prepared by adding vinegar, sugar, etc. to which coagulation is inhibited, can improve these drawbacks.

(noodles)
Addition of agar to noodles has been investigated in anticipation of the function of imparting chewiness and smoothness to the texture. Conventionally, water is added to the extent that the noodles are easy to mold and the texture of the noodles is adjusted. For this reason, when powdered agar is mixed and dissolved, sufficient water cannot be obtained for the agar, and even if the raw noodles are boiled and heated, the agar cannot be sufficiently dissolved. In addition, since the dissolution water is brine for Chinese noodles and salt water for udon noodles, these salts inhibit the dissolution of agar. However, when the agar composition according to the present invention is used, it is easily dissolved by heating, and cold noodles, in which the agar gels, are particularly given a chewy and smooth texture. Uses of noodles containing the agar composition of the present invention include Chinese noodles, udon noodles, chilled wheat noodles, somen noodles, pasta, soba noodles, vermicelli noodles, and rice vermicelli noodles.
On the other hand, instead of powder agar, it is also being considered to dissolve agar in hot water in advance and mix it. Wheat flour, buckwheat flour, and the like begin to be gelatinized in hot water, becoming sticky and becoming sticky, destroying the taste. Cold water is used for this purpose, but in the case of an agar solution, it gels and must be broken. The broken gel also becomes finer, but it is non-uniform and hinders the moldability of the noodles. As in the present invention, if an agar composition is used in which the weight ratio of agar and starch hydrolyzate is 1:3 to 1:10, and the gelatinization is inhibited by cooling after heating and dissolving. For example, it can be easily dissolved at a low temperature and can be easily used for noodles because it inhibits gelation.
Noodles using rice flour instead of wheat flour are also used as gluten-free, for example. Traditionally, there are noodles made from starch, but they lack flavor and are inferior to Tsurumi. Rice noodles have the softness of rice cakes, but do not have the waist of gluten. Improvement can be achieved by adding this agar formulation. It is effective in getting people with wheat allergies to use the noodles.
Noodles containing the agar composition according to the present invention can be used not only for fresh noodles, but also for dried noodles, instant noodles, frozen noodles, LL noodles and the like.

(bread)
The agar composition according to the present invention can also be used in bread making as well as noodles. The agar composition according to the present invention is mixed with wheat flour, yeast, etc., added with water, kneaded, fermented and baked. By heating during the secondary fermentation, the ratio of dissolution is higher than that of conventional agar, and it is easy to exert its effect. When the agar composition according to the present invention is added, the product becomes bulky during fermentation, and there is little shrinkage after baking. In addition, it has high moisturizing properties and less dry feeling. This is remarkable in rice flour bread, and aging can be delayed. As for the composition of bread, it is effective for both rich bread and lean bread. Bread products include white bread, sweet buns, French bread, buns, sandwiches, hamburger buns, pies, Danish pastries, manju, donuts, and pancakes. In addition to wheat bread, it can also be applied to bread such as whole grain bread, rye bread, and rice flour bread. Distribution is also effective for frozen bread, chilled bread, room-temperature bread, and the like.

(Confectionery)
The agar composition according to the present invention is particularly effective for confectionery with low water activity that is distributed at room temperature. For example, gummy jelly, half-dried jelly, chocolate, chewing gum, caramel, biscuit, rice cracker, baked confectionery, sweet bean jelly, karinto (oil confectionery), and bean confectionery. In this case, it is required to reduce the amount of dissolved water as much as possible. It can be expected to have many functions such as retention, prevention of sticking of caramel in the oral cavity, chewing chewing gum and texture retention. It can be applied to many Japanese sweets, such as bean paste products with high sugar content.

(Desserts, dairy products (yogurt, cheese, etc.), beverages)
For desserts and dairy products, by mixing fresh cream with a paste of an agar composition whose coagulation is inhibited at a low temperature, the overrun of air bubbles is good, the air bubbles are easily retained, and the taste can be improved. When this paste is made aseptically in UHT and mixed with yogurt fermentation base, soft yogurt is produced which is smooth and has better shape retention than conventional pectin. Similarly, with drink yogurt, you can have a drink yogurt that has a rich texture but is not sticky. Furthermore, even in hard yogurt, the dissolution of agar is facilitated, making it easy to use.
In addition, by adding the agar composition according to the present invention when melting salt is added to natural cheese in processed cheese or cheese food, it can be easily dissolved at a high concentration, improving texture, improving peelability, and yield. effects such as improvement can be obtained.
The agar composition according to the present invention can also be added to beverages such as coffee milk beverages, cocoa beverages, vegetable beverages such as tomato and green juice, fruit juice beverages, smoothies, etc. to impart body and sharpness to the beverages. can be done.

The agar-solubilizing agent according to the present invention contains a starch hydrolyzate having a weight-average molecular weight of 8,000 to 800,000 and a polymerized phosphate.

The agar soluble agent according to the present invention is preferably added in an amount of 0.05 to 20 times the amount of agar.

The method for producing an agar composition according to the present invention includes a step of adding agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000, and a polymerized phosphate to water and heating and dissolving it; and drying at a temperature at which no transition occurs.

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be specifically described below, but these are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, % indicates % by weight unless otherwise specified.

[Experimental Example 1: Preparation of agar composition]
(Example 1)
70 parts of Ina agar (weight average molecular weight 200000: manufactured by Ina Food Industry), 30 parts of starch hydrolyzate (DE3 dextrin: manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry), and 7 parts of sodium metaphosphate (manufactured by Taihei Chemical Industry) are powder-mixed, and water is added. It was dispersed in 2200 parts and heated to a boil for complete dissolution. This solution was dried at 120° C. with a drum dry (manufactured by Kusunoki Seisakusho). It was pulverized by a pulverizer to obtain an agar composition (Example 1) in which random-coil molecules of agar were mixed with dextrin molecules and sodium metaphosphate in a molecular state.

(Comparative example 1)
An agar composition according to Comparative Example 1 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that neither starch hydrolyzate nor sodium metaphosphate was added.

(Comparative example 2)
An agar composition according to Comparative Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that sodium metaphosphate was not added.

(Evaluation of low-temperature solubility)
In the agar compositions prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, 10% glucose was mixed with the amount of agar in the agar composition to be 0.7%, and hot water of 45 ° C., 50 ° C., and 60 ° C. was added. Each agar composition solution was prepared by adding and stirring to make the total 100%. As a control, each was similarly added to hot water at 100° C. and mixed with stirring to prepare an agar composition solution. This is placed in a container and gelled in a water bath at 10° C., and analyzed with a texture analyzer TA. XT. The gel strength was measured with Plus (Eiko Seiki), and the dissolution rate A was obtained from the following formula. These results are shown in Table 1. The purpose of mixing the glucose is to make a uniform solution without lumps.

As shown in Table 1, in comparison with Comparative Examples 1 and 2, it was found that Example 1 melted well even at 45° C. and produced firm jelly.

(Examples 2-5)
Ina agar (weight average molecular weight 200000: manufactured by Ina Food Industry), starch hydrolyzate (DE3 dextrin: manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry), and sodium metaphosphate (manufactured by Taihei Chemical Industry) are powder-mixed at the ratio shown in Table 2, Dispersed in 2200 parts of water and heated to boiling for complete dissolution. This solution is dried with a drum dry (manufactured by Kusunoki Seisakusho) and pulverized with a pulverizer to form an agar composition in which random-coil molecules of agar are mixed with dextrin molecules and sodium metaphosphate in a molecular state. Examples 2-5) were obtained.

(Evaluation of low-temperature solubility and gelation inhibition)
In the agar compositions prepared in Examples 2 to 6, the amount of agar in the agar composition was mixed with 10% glucose, and hot water at 60 ° C. and 100 ° C. was added so that the total amount was 100%. and mixed with stirring to prepare an agar composition solution. This is placed in a container and gelled in a water bath at 10° C., and analyzed with a texture analyzer TA. XT. Gel strength was measured with Plus (Eiko Seiki). The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, the gel strength was the same at 100° C. and 60° C., indicating that Examples 2 to 6 dissolved well even at low temperatures. It was also found that the higher the ratio of dextrin than that of Ina agar, the more the coagulation is inhibited.

[Experimental Example 2: Production of Udon]
(Example 7)
An agar composition or powdered agar was powder-mixed with wheat flour in advance according to the formulation shown in Table 4, transferred to a kneader, salt water was added, and kneaded at room temperature to obtain the udon dough according to Example 7. . The agar composition of Example 2 was used as the agar composition. The dough was rolled and cut into 5 mm thick and 5 mm wide noodles using a cutter. The noodles were boiled in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, immediately washed with cold water and drained, and used for sensory evaluation. The texture and the stiffness of the noodles were examined 15 minutes after boiling.

(Comparative Example 3)
Udon according to Comparative Example 3 was produced in the same manner as in Example 7, except that no agar composition was added.

(Comparative Example 4)
Udon according to Comparative Example 4 was produced in the same manner as in Example 6, except that 0.43 parts of powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

(Texture and strain of noodles)
The texture of the boiled noodles was evaluated by five panelists. Evaluation was made into the following three grades based on five persons' evaluation. Table 4 shows the results.
◯: Good texture with firmness and smoothness △: Not good texture such as insufficient stiffness and lack of smoothness.
x: There is no elasticity and smoothness, and the texture is poor.

(hardness of noodles)
The texture analyzer TA. XT. Using Plus (Eiko Seiki), a toothed plunger was used, and the maximum value up to a measurement depth of 3 mm was defined as hardness (g). The measurement temperature is 10°C.

[Experimental Example 3: Production of cheese]
(Example 8)
80 parts of commercially available natural cheese was placed in a cheese emulsifier, 2 parts of Na polyphosphate and 20 parts of water in which the agar composition of Example 3 had been dispersed in advance were added, and the mixture was heated to 80°C with stirring and mixed for 10 minutes. After that, the cheese according to Example 8 was obtained by filling a cup-shaped container and cooling to 5°C. After standing at 5°C for 24 hours, the hardness was measured using a texture analyzer (plunger: cross-sectional area: 1 cm ² cylinder) TA. XT. Hardness (g/cm ² ) was defined as maximum strength up to a depth of 5 mm using Plus (Eiko Seiki).

(Comparative Example 5)
A cheese according to Comparative Example 5 was produced in the same manner as in Example 8, except that no agar composition was added.

(Comparative Example 6)
A cheese according to Comparative Example 6 was produced in the same manner as in Example 8 except that 0.1% by weight of powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

(Removability from container)
A panel of five people evaluated the peelability from the container of the cheese which was filled in the container and cooled and solidified. Table 5 shows the results.
◯: Cleanly peeled off from the container.
Δ: Some parts are difficult to peel off.
x: Poor peeling.

[Experimental Example 4: Production of cheese food]
(Example 9)
Ina agar, starch hydrolyzate, and sodium metaphosphate were powder-mixed in advance according to the formulation shown in Table 6 below, dispersed in 94.3% water, and dissolved by heating. After boiling for 1 to 2 minutes, the heat was stopped, the weight was adjusted to 100%, the mixture was poured into a container, cooled and gelled, and then the gel was pulverized with a high-speed stirrer to obtain an agar composition paste.

Put 50 parts of cream cheese in a cheese emulsifier, add 50 parts of agar composition paste prepared in advance, heat up to 80 ° C. while stirring, mix for 10 minutes, fill in a container and cool to 5 ° C. Example 9 I made a cheese food related to.

(Comparative Example 7)
As Comparative Example 7, a cheese food shown in Table 7 was prepared using only water instead of the agar composition paste shown in Table 6.

(Comparative Example 8)
As Comparative Example 8, a cheese food shown in Table 7 was prepared by using an agar composition paste not containing only sodium metaphosphate instead of the agar composition paste shown in Table 6.

(Comparative Example 9)
As Comparative Example 9, a cheese food shown in Table 7 was prepared using an agar composition paste that did not contain only Ina agar instead of the agar composition paste shown in Table 6.

Hardness and texture were examined for these cheese foods. The hardness was measured by texture analyzer TA. XT. Measured with Plus (Eiko Seiki). (Plunger: cylinder with cross-sectional area of 1 cm ² , measuring temperature of 20° C.) The maximum strength up to a depth of 5 mm was defined as hardness (g/cm ² ). The texture was evaluated using the following sensory evaluation indices. Table 8 shows the results.
(texture)
The texture of the coagulated cheese food was evaluated by five panelists.
○: There is a rich feeling, smooth and good texture.
Δ: Unsatisfactory texture such as lack of richness and lack of smoothness.
x: Poor texture.

[Experimental Example 5: Preparation of ham]
(Example 10)
Phosphate is pre-dissolved in cold water, then nitrite is added and dissolved. The agar composition/glucose/salt seasoning of Example 1 was dispersed in the phosphate solution described above, and sodium ascorbate was added to prepare an injection liquid (pickle liquid).
60 to 80% of the pickling liquid was injected into pork whose surface area was increased using a roller or the like. The rest of the injection liquid and raw pork were placed in a vacuum type tumbler and the degree of vacuum was set to 90%, and the work of rotating and resting for 20 minutes for 40 minutes was continued for 16 hours. A casing was filled with processed meat, heated at 70° C., and after cooling, a ham according to Example 10 was obtained.

(Comparative Example 10)
A ham according to Comparative Example 10 was produced in the same manner as in Example 10, except that no agar composition was added.

(Comparative Example 11)
A ham according to Comparative Example 11 was produced in the same manner as in Example 10, except that 0.35% by weight of powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

(texture)
Five panelists evaluated the texture of the ham that had been refrigerated after heat treatment. Table 9 shows the results.
◯: Moist and elastic good texture.
Δ: Less elasticity than ○. Unsatisfactory texture.
x: Dry feeling and poor texture.

(Yield)
The yield was determined by the following formula. Table 9 shows the results.
Weight after heating ÷ Weight before heating x 100

[Experimental Example 6: Production of bread]
(Example 11)
Using the composition shown in Table 10 and using Comparative Example 12 as a control, English bread was prepared according to Example 11 under the following conditions in a conventional manner. As an agar composition, the agar composition of Example 4 was used. The amount of agar composition added was 1.42 per 100 parts of wheat flour, and the amount of water added was increased from 70 in the control to 73 in the test.

(Comparative Example 12)
A bread according to Comparative Example 12 was produced in the same manner as in Example 11, except that no agar composition was added.

(Comparative Example 13)
A bread according to Comparative Example 13 was produced in the same manner as in Example 11, except that 0.2% by weight of powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

Kneading time: L3M2H2↓L2M5H4
Kneading temperature: 28℃
Fermentation time/temperature: 60 minutes, 28°C/75%
Bench time: 20 minutes Proofing conditions: 37°C/85%, 40 minutes Firing temperature: 200°C
Baking time: 30 minutes Fermentation (Fukushima Kogyo Co., Ltd. Do conditioner QBX-162DC2 is used for proofing)
Baking (using a Pavaye oven)

(bread strength)
The initial strength and the strength after 3 days are measured by Texture Analyzer: TA. XT. Plus (Eiko Seiki) was used for measurement (the plunger is a cylindrical type with a cross-sectional area of 1 cm ² , and the measurement temperature is 20° C.). Table 10 shows the results.

(restorability)
A piece of bread cut to 10 cm×10 cm×10 cm was pressed from above with a hand, and the degree of return when the hand was released was visually evaluated.
(evaluation)
The texture, taste, appearance, and restorability of the dough were evaluated on a 5-point basis. Table 10 shows the results.
The higher the score, the better the result.

[Experimental Example 7: Preparation of gummy jelly]
(Example 12)
7 parts of gelatin, 25 parts of granulated sugar, 50 parts of hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate, 20 parts of liquid sugar sorbitol and 20 parts of water are dissolved by heating and boiled down to a sugar content of 80. The agar composition (Example 2) was previously dispersed in 10 parts of liquid sugar sorbitol, added to the boiled down gelatin solution, thoroughly stirred, and the heat was turned off. Add citric acid, 5-fold concentrated fruit juice, flavor and color, hold at 80°C, and defoam. The mixture was filled in a mold, cooled and dried to prepare the agar-containing gummies of Example 12.

(Comparative Example 14)
As Comparative Example 14, gummies were produced in the same manner as in Example 12 except that no agar composition was added.

(Comparative Example 15)
As Comparative Example 15, gummies were produced in the same manner as in Example 12, except that powder agar was used instead of the agar composition.

The gummy jelly prepared in Experimental Example 7 was measured for chewing resistance and adhesion to teeth, and the results are shown in Table 11. Evaluation methods are described below.
(chewable)
The texture of the agar-containing gummies was evaluated by five panelists.
◯: More chewy than Comparative Example 15.
Δ: Good chewiness.
x: Less chewiness than in Comparative Example 15.

(Adhesion to teeth)
◯: No adhesion.
Δ: Slightly more adhesive than ◯.
x: Slightly adherent.

[Experimental Example 8: Production of yogurt]
(Example 13)
An agar composition paste was prepared in advance according to the formulation shown in Table 12 below. Ina agar, starch hydrolyzate, and sodium metaphosphate were powder-mixed, dispersed in 94.3 parts of water, and dissolved by heating. After boiling for 1 to 2 minutes, the fire was stopped and the weight was adjusted to 100 parts.

20 parts of the agar composition paste prepared in advance was added to 80 parts of the fermentation base and mixed to prepare the soft yogurt of Example 13 (non-fat solid content 8.7%, milk fat 1.8%).

(Comparative Example 16)
As Comparative Example 16, soft yogurt was prepared in the same manner as in Example 13 except that pectin was used instead of Ina agar, starch hydrolyzate and sodium metaphosphate.

(Comparative Example 17)
As Comparative Example 17, soft yogurt was produced in the same manner as in Example 13 except that sodium metaphosphate was not used.

(Comparative Example 18)
As Comparative Example 18, soft yogurt was produced in the same manner as in Example 13 except that powdered agar was used instead of Ina agar (weight average molecular weight: 200,000).

The whey separation and texture of the soft yogurts produced in Example 13 and Comparative Examples 16 to 18 were measured and shown in Table 14. Evaluation methods are described below.
(separation of whey)
◯: Uniform state without separation.
Δ: Some separation of whey is observed on the surface.

(texture)
The texture of the soft yogurt was evaluated by our five panelists. Table 14 shows the results.
◯: The texture is smooth, has a rich feeling, and has a good sharpness.
Δ: The texture is smooth and rich, but slightly pasty.
x: Glue-like feeling is felt.

[Experimental Example 9: Production of Tsukudani]
(Example 14)
100 parts of raw kelp was mixed with 40 parts of soy sauce, 30 parts of starch syrup, 15 parts of sugar and 100 parts of water to make a total of 200 g, and the mixture was boiled down at 90° C. for 60 minutes (Brix 50-55). Immediately before turning off the heat, 0.62 part of the agar composition of Example 2 was powder-mixed with 5 parts of sugar, and the mixture was added to kombu tsukudani and thoroughly mixed. The fire was stopped and the heat was removed to obtain a food boiled down in soy according to Example 14.

(Comparative Example 19)
A tsukudani according to Comparative Example 19 was prepared in the same manner as in Example 14, except that 0.2 parts of powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

(Comparative Example 20)
100 parts of raw kelp, 40 parts of soy sauce, 30 parts of starch syrup, 20 parts of sugar, 0.2 parts of powdered agar, and 100 parts of water are boiled down at 90 ° C. for 60 minutes (Brix 55 to 60). made.

The luster and dripping of Tsukudani in Example 14 and Comparative Examples 19 and 20 were evaluated and listed in Table 15. Evaluation methods are described below.
(luster)
◯: Uniformly glossy.
Δ: Slightly lacking in gloss, such as non-uniformity.

(dropping)
◯: No sagging over time.
Δ: Dripping is observed over time.
x: Sauce falls down from the beginning.

[Experimental Example 10: Preparation of beverage]
(Example 15)
All raw materials were heated and dissolved using UHT (120° C., 1 minute) to prepare a base syrup for dilution (sugar content: 55, pH: 3.8). As the agar composition, the agar composition of Example 1 was used as Example 15.

(Comparative Example 21)
As Comparative Example 21, a base syrup was prepared in the same manner as in Example 15, except that neither the agar composition nor powdered agar was used.

(Comparative Example 22)
As Comparative Example 22, a base syrup was prepared in the same manner as in Example 15 except that powdered agar was used instead of the agar composition.

The viscosities of the base syrups of Example 15 and Comparative Examples 21 and 22 were measured.
(viscosity)
The viscosity was measured when diluted with 5 times the amount of water. Table 16 shows the results.
Measurement conditions: B-type viscometer Rotor No. 1 60 rpm

Example 15 had a high viscosity because the agar was sufficiently dissolved.

[Experimental Example 11: Preparation of flower paste (chocolate cream)]
(Example 16)
A flour paste was prepared according to a conventional method. A flour paste according to Example 16 was made by adding 0.26% of agar composition 1 after heating the starch. For comparison, a flour paste was prepared in the same manner using 0.1% of Ina agar UP-37.
Those using the agar composition had better shape retention, better spreadability, and less adhesion to the film than the comparison.

[Experimental Example 12: Production of caramel]
(Example 17)
A caramel was prepared according to a conventional method. After the final heating, 0.26% of agar composition 1 was added to prepare a caramel according to Example 17. For comparison, caramel was prepared in the same manner using 0.1% of Ina agar UP-37.
Those using the agar composition had better shape retention than the comparison, did not adhere to the teeth, had good spreadability, and had less adhesion to the film.

[Experimental Example 13: Production of frozen dessert]
(Example 18)
10% of the paste prepared in Table 6 was added before freezing, and a frozen dessert according to Example 18 was prepared according to a conventional method. Compared to the product without the additive, the product was easy to spoon and did not dissolve easily at room temperature.

Claims (6)

An agar composition characterized by having a structure in which molecules of agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 to 800,000, and a polymerized phosphate are entangled with each other. A method for producing an agar composition comprising adding agar, a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8000 to 800000 and a polymerized phosphate to water, heating and dissolving the solution, and drying at 45 to 180°C . 2. The agar composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of said agar and said starch hydrolyzate is 10:1 to 1:3. 2. The agar composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of said agar and said starch hydrolyzate is 1:3 to 1:10. A food comprising the agar composition according to claim 1 , 3 or 4 . An agar soluble agent comprising a starch hydrolyzate having a weight average molecular weight of 8,000 to 800,000 and a polymerized phosphate.