JP7121562B2 - Method for improving quality of gel composition - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to a method for improving the quality of a gel composition, and specifically to a method for improving the quality of a gel composition containing dietary fiber.

Dietary fiber is excellent in regulating action of serum cholesterol concentration, blood sugar control action, and the like. Gelled compositions of dietary fiber are utilized as foods having functions such as intestinal regulation.

However, due to their unique flavor and physical properties, gel compositions have been used only for specific dishes and have limited uses.

As a method for improving food quality, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-238074 (Patent Document 1) discloses that a mixed aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate pyrophosphate in an amount of about 0.7 times to the same amount is added to fish meat drop, and then under reduced pressure. A method for improving the quality of slaughtered meat is described, which consists of exposing at 200° C. and degreasing and dehydrating.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-284522 (Patent Document 2) describes the rapid introduction of enzymes into plant tissues by freezing raw or heated plant food materials, thawing them, immersing them in an enzyme solution, and leaving them under reduced pressure. law is stated.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-89668 (Patent Document 3) discloses a degrading enzyme introduction step in which the degrading enzyme brought into contact with the surface of the food material is uniformly contained inside the food material by pressure treatment, wherein the food material is decompressed. A method for producing an aged food is described, which includes a step of introducing a degrading enzyme, which includes an expansion step of expanding the food material while maintaining its shape through the process, and a compression step of compressing the expanded food material to a volume smaller than that of the original food material. ing.

JP-A-8-238074 JP-A-2003-284522 JP-A-2009-89668

However, the methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are not suitable for quality improvement of gel compositions. Even if the gel composition is decompressed, the moisture content cannot be sufficiently reduced, the composition cannot be stored for a long period of time at room temperature, and sufficient freezing resistance cannot be obtained. In addition, for example, in freeze-drying as described in Patent Document 2, voids are formed in the gel composition, and even if it is immersed in a seasoning liquid or the like after freeze-drying, moisture does not penetrate to the inside.

In addition, when using konjac as a gel composition, it is known to impregnate konjac with one or several of glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, and fructose for the purpose of imparting freeze resistance. there is However, since the solid content after impregnation is small, the water activity is high and mold is likely to occur, and long-term storage at room temperature is not possible. Furthermore, when the impregnating substance is sugars, the finished product retains a strong sweetness, which may make the material unsuitable for cooking. Moreover, even if it is impregnated with this saccharide, it contains a large amount of moisture, and the desired freeze resistance cannot be obtained. For example, after freezing, the elasticity before freezing is lost, and the desired texture cannot be obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for improving the quality of a gel composition capable of improving the storage stability of the gel composition and imparting functionality utilizing the characteristics of the impregnating liquid.

A method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention comprises a water removal step of removing at least part of the water from a gel composition containing dietary fiber, and a gel composition from which at least part of the water has been removed. is impregnated with an impregnating liquid, and a decompression step of decompressing the gel composition impregnated with the impregnating substance.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the water removal step is preferably carried out by centrifugation, drum vacuum filtration, belt filter filtration, or gravity filtration.

In the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the impregnating liquid preferably contains at least one of condensed milk, saccharides, and fats and oils.

In the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the decompression step is preferably performed while heating the gel composition.

Preferably, the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention further includes a cooling step of cooling the depressurized gel composition.

In the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the gel composition may be produced by adding an alkaline coagulant to a mixture of glucomannan and a thickening polysaccharide other than glucomannan. preferable.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the gel composition is preferably a thermo-irreversible gel.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the gel composition is preferably konjac.

In the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the gel composition contains 1 part of glucomannan or konjac flour, 15 parts or less of starch, 100 parts or less of water, and an alkaline coagulant. is preferred.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the gel composition is preferably a food.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the gel composition is preferably a lure.

In the gel composition quality improvement method according to the present invention, the gel composition is preferably a pharmaceutical composition containing a drug.

In the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the gel composition from which at least part of the water is removed in the water removal step and impregnated with the impregnation liquid in the impregnation step has a water content of 90% by weight or more. is preferably included.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for improving the quality of a gel composition capable of improving the storage stability of the gel composition and imparting functionality that takes advantage of the characteristics of the impregnation liquid. can be done.

[ Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing time-varying rate of decrease in the total weight of konjac and impregnated liquid before and after treatment with a gel composition (konjac). FIG. 10 is a graph showing temporal changes in the weight reduction rate of konjac before and after treatment with a gel composition. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a time change of sugar solution (impregnation solution) Bx (%) of the gel composition. It is a figure which shows the time change of the solid content of a gel-like composition. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sugar content per 100 g of dry weight of the gel composition. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the dye content per 1 g of dry weight of the gel composition by absorbance. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing changes in the volume of the gel composition over time. 1 is a photograph showing an SEM image of a gel composition (Sample 15) improved in quality by the method for improving quality according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a photograph showing an SEM image of a gel composition (Sample 16) that was not subjected to a depressurization step. FIG.

A method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention comprises a water removal step of removing at least part of the water from a gel composition containing dietary fiber, and a gel composition from which at least part of the water has been removed. is impregnated with an impregnating liquid, and a decompression step of decompressing the gel composition impregnated with the impregnating substance.

Gel compositions containing dietary fiber include, for example, konjac coagulated with alkali containing glucomannan as a main component, heat-resistant jelly, and the like. The gel composition is preferably a heat-irreversible gel, particularly preferably konjac.

A gel composition is produced, for example, by adding an alkaline coagulant to a mixture of glucomannan and a polysaccharide thickener other than glucomannan. Also, starch may be further added.

It is preferable that one or two thickening polysaccharides are contained. Examples of thickening polysaccharides include fruit or plant-based guar gum, glucomannan, locust bean gum, tara gum, starch, etc., seaweed-based carrageenan, alginic acid, agar, etc., microbial-based gellan gum, xanthan gum, curdlan, etc. and chemically modified products such as methyl cellulose.

One or two types of starch are preferably included. Examples of starch include cereals such as corn, wheat, and rice; tubers such as potato, cassava, and sweet potato; roots and stems such as sago palm and lotus root;

Alkaline coagulants include, for example, sodium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, trisodium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, baked scallop shell, oyster shell, and egg shell powder, basic Amino acids include arginine, histidine, lysine and the like, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate and the like.

More specifically, the gel composition preferably contains 15 parts or less of starch, 100 parts or less of water, and an alkaline coagulant per 1 part of glucomannan or konjac powder.

The step of removing water from the gel composition is preferably carried out by centrifugation, drum-type vacuum filtration, belt filter filtration, or gravity filtration. For centrifugation, known means such as screw decanter, pole separator, and basket centrifuge can be used. For natural filtration, known means such as filter filtration and cloth filtration can be used.

After the water removal step, an impregnation step is performed. In the impregnation step, the gel composition from which at least part of the moisture has been removed is impregnated with an impregnation liquid.

The impregnating liquid is a liquid for imparting flavor and properties to the gel composition. The impregnating liquid preferably contains at least one of condensed milk, saccharides, and fats and oils. Examples of condensed milk include sweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed skimmed milk, and adjusted condensed milk. Sugars include, for example, glucose, sucrose, maltose, brown sugar, lactose, fructose, oligosaccharides, trehalose, and rare sugars. Fats and oils include butter, coconut oil, coconut oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, fish oil, animal fat, n-3 fatty acids, n-6 fatty acids, n- 9-series fatty acids and the like. The impregnating liquid may also contain alcohols such as liqueur, wine, and plum wine, milk, honey, black honey, gum syrup such as monk fruit, coconut, vitamin premix, mineral premix, and fish extract. The impregnating liquid preferably contains one or more of these impregnating substances.

After the impregnation step, a decompression step is performed to depressurize the gel composition impregnated with the impregnating substance. The decompression step further reduces the water content in the gel composition and concentrates the solid content in the gel composition. The vacuum pressure range is preferably -0.099 MPa to -0.0036 MPa.

The decompression step is preferably performed while heating the gel composition. The temperature of the decompression step is preferably 20°C to 99°C.

The decompression process or the decompression process while heating is performed, for example, by a multi-effect tank, a foam concentrator, a rheo kneader, a global concentrator, a batch-type vacuum concentrator, an evaporative concentrator, a Gistie mix tank, a pressurized vacuum pot, It can be done with a pressurized vacuum ketomixer or the like.

The pressure and temperature conditions in the decompression process are determined by the properties of the impregnating liquid, such as density, specific gravity, solubility, melting point, boiling point, freezing point, pH, pH of the final product, water activity depending on salt concentration and sugar concentration, filling method (aseptic whether it is filling), filling temperature, etc.

After the depressurizing step, it is preferable to further include a cooling step of cooling the depressurized gel composition, particularly when the gel composition is heated in the depressurizing step.

The pressure and temperature conditions for the cooling process are set according to the properties of the impregnating liquid, such as density, specific gravity, solubility, melting point, boiling point, freezing point, pH, and the like.

By doing so, it is possible to improve the flavor of the gel composition, improve the texture, impart acid resistance, salt resistance, heat resistance, freeze resistance, etc., extend the expiration date, and improve the storage stability as a food that can be stored at room temperature. becomes possible.

A gel composition whose quality has been improved by the quality improvement method of the present invention can be used as a cooking ingredient, a confectionery ingredient, or a functional ingredient. As a functional material, for example, fish extract can be used as an impregnating liquid to make a biodegradable artificial bait. Also, by using vitamins, minerals, oligosaccharides, DHA, etc. as the impregnating liquid, functional foods can be obtained. In addition, a drug can be contained in the gel composition and used as a pharmaceutical composition having sustained release properties.

More specifically, the gel composition whose quality has been improved by the method for improving quality of the present invention can be used, for example, by mixing, filling, or topping frozen desserts such as soft ice cream, sherbet, and ice cream. It can also be used as a mix, filling, or topping for cakes and steamed buns. It can also be used in beverages and jelly. Furthermore, it can also be used as a simulated food such as a simulated umeboshi.

In addition, the storage stability can be further improved by drying the gel composition whose quality has been improved by the method for improving quality of the present invention. Moreover, by doing so, it is possible to impart a gummy-like texture.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Examples and the like, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[Gel composition]
Konjac was used as the gel composition. Konnyaku is 1.9% konjac flour, 0.1% shiratama flour, 8.7% processed starch powder, 0.9% edible processed oil, 0.9% polysaccharide thickener, and the rest of water to make a total of 100%. It was prepared by mixing raw materials at a compounding ratio, adding a coagulant (calcium hydroxide), kneading, extruding, cutting, thermoforming (85±3° C., 5±1 minutes), and aging (30 minutes or more). . As for the size of the konjac, one grain had a long side of 9.5 mm, a short side of 8.2 mm, and a volume of 363 mm ³ . In the following examples and test examples, 10 konjac granules were used as a gel composition.

The moisture content of the above-mentioned konjac was 97.7% by weight after the above-mentioned thermal aging. Further, when this konjac was centrifuged at 3,000 G for 20 minutes using a centrifuge, the water content was 92.4% by weight. The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content.

The gel composition of the present invention is not limited to konjac. When the gel composition is konjac, the konjac raw material is preferably 5% or less konjac flour, 3% or less shiratama flour, 15% or less modified starch powder, and 3% or less polysaccharide thickener. Appropriate amounts of edible processed oil, calcium hydroxide, and a pH adjuster are included, and water is preferably added as the balance to make 100%.

[Example 1]
[Moisture removal step]
Using the above konjac as the gel composition, a water removal step was performed by centrifugation in a basket type centrifuge (centrifugal effect: 500 G, time: 10 minutes or longer). The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 96.6% by weight). The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content.

[Impregnation process]
Sweetened condensed milk was used as the impregnation liquid. The gel composition and sweetened condensed milk were mixed to impregnate the gel composition with the sweetened condensed milk.

[Decompression step]
Next, the gel composition was decompressed using a vacuum concentrator at 85° C. and a vacuum pressure of −0.0435 MPa. The concentration end point was set at a solid content of 73% or more.

[Cooling process]
After completing the concentration of the gel composition, it was rapidly cooled. This is aimed at preserving the quality and furthermore precipitating lactose, which has become supersaturated during the cooling process, as fine crystals as possible. The cooling temperature was 38°C.

[Seeding process]
After the gel composition reached the cooling temperature, fine crystals of lactose were added while stirring and cooling in order to generate fine crystals of lactose, and the mixture was slowly cooled to 20°C or less. After that, the stirring was further continued for about 1 hour to crystallize all the supersaturated lactose.

[Filling process]
After cooling, the gel composition was allowed to stand for 8 hours or more, and filled in a previously sterilized and dried container (can). The filling method may be aseptic filling.

[Example 2]
[Moisture removal step]
Using the above konjac as the gel composition, a water removal step was performed by centrifugation in a basket type centrifuge (centrifugal effect: 500 G, time: 10 minutes or longer). The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 96.6% by weight). The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content.

[Impregnation process]
As the impregnating liquid, a mixture of 40% sugar, 15% trehalose, 15% fructose-glucose liquid sugar, and 30% lemon juice was added with an appropriate amount of lemon extract and an appropriate amount of acidulant. The gel composition and the impregnation liquid were mixed to impregnate the gel composition with the impregnation liquid.

[Decompression step]
Next, the gel composition was decompressed using a vacuum concentrator at 85° C. and a vacuum pressure of −0.0435 MPa. The concentration end point was set at a solid content of 73% or more. At the concentration end point, the pH of the gel composition was 4.0 or less.

[Cooling process]
After completing the concentration of the gel composition, it was rapidly cooled. The cooling temperature was 10°C or less.

[Filling process]
After cooling the gel composition, it was filled in a previously sterilized and dried container (can). The filling method may be aseptic filling or hot filling.

[Example 3]
[Moisture removal step]
Using the above konjac as the gel composition, a water removal step was performed by centrifugation in a basket type centrifuge (centrifugal effect: 500 G, time: 10 minutes or longer). The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 96.6% by weight). The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content.

[Impregnation process]
As the impregnating liquid, a mixture of 71% olive oil, 25% rice black vinegar, 3% basil extract, and 1% salt was added with an appropriate amount of spice and an appropriate amount of pH adjuster. The gel composition and the impregnation liquid were mixed to impregnate the gel composition with the impregnation liquid.

[Decompression step]
Next, the gel composition was decompressed using a vacuum concentrator at 85° C. and a vacuum pressure of −0.0435 MPa. The concentration end point was set at a solid content of 73% or more.

[Cooling process]
After completing the concentration of the gel composition, it was rapidly cooled. The cooling temperature was 25°C.

[Filling process]
After cooling the gel composition, it was filled in a previously sterilized and dried container (can). The filling method may be aseptic filling or hot filling.

[Example 4]
[Moisture removal step]
Using the above konjac as the gel composition, a water removal step was performed by centrifugation in a basket type centrifuge (centrifugal effect: 500 G, time: 10 minutes or longer). The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 96.6% by weight). The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content.

[Impregnation process]
As the impregnating liquid, a mixed liquid of 60% sweetened condensed milk and 40% oligosaccharide to which an appropriate amount of pH adjuster was added was used. The gel composition and the impregnation liquid were mixed to impregnate the gel composition with the impregnation liquid.

[Decompression step]
Next, the gel composition was decompressed using a vacuum concentrator at 85° C. and a vacuum pressure of −0.0435 MPa. The concentration end point was set at a solid content of 73% or more.

[Cooling process]
After completing the concentration of the gel composition, it was rapidly cooled. The cooling temperature was 38°C.

[Seeding process]
After the gel composition reached the cooling temperature, fine crystals of lactose were added while stirring and cooling in order to generate fine crystals of lactose, and the mixture was slowly cooled to 20°C or less. After that, the stirring was further continued for about 1 hour to crystallize all the supersaturated lactose.

[Filling process]
After cooling, the gel composition was allowed to stand for 8 hours or more, and filled in a previously sterilized and dried container (can). The filling method may be aseptic filling or hot filling.

[Test Example 1]
The above konjac was used as the gel composition. At least a portion of the water content of the konjac was reduced by centrifugation. As a water removal step, centrifugation was performed with a centrifuge at 3,000 G for 20 minutes. The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 92.4% by weight) for any of Samples 1 to 6. The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content. Purified water and 0.0165% of edible synthetic coloring (Red No. 40) were added to fructose-glucose liquid sugar to prepare a sugar solution with a sugar content (Bx) of 70 to prepare an impregnating solution. Centrifuged konjac or non-centrifuged konjac was impregnated with this impregnation solution at a ratio of 2:1: weight of impregnation solution: weight of konjac to be impregnated.

Each sample was prepared under the conditions shown in Table 1 below, and the pressure was reduced. Decompression is performed by weighing 100 g of each sample into a 200 mL eggplant-shaped flask, heating it to the temperature of each condition in a water bath (YAMATO BT-15), and then using an evaporator (rotary evaporator Buchi Rotavapor (registered trademark) R-300). Depressurization was started at .

The treatment time started when the degree of vacuum of each condition was reached, and the decompression step was performed for the prescribed treatment time. After the treatment was completed, the container was tightly sealed with a silicon plug and used as a measurement sample.

[Weight measurement]
Immediately after mixing the sample (immediately after impregnating the konjac with the impregnating liquid) and after the decompression step, the total weight of the impregnating liquid and the gel composition (konjac) and the weight of the gel composition were measured. The weight of the gel composition was measured by wiping the surface water with paper after filtration through 100 mesh (stainless mesh). An electric scale (manufactured by Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.) was used for weight measurement. The results are shown in Table 2 and FIGS.

As shown in Table 2 and FIGS. 1 and 2, when the decompression process is not performed (normal pressure), even if heated for 60 minutes, the reduction rate of the total weight and the weight of konjac did not change. rice field. On the other hand, when the decompression step was performed, the rate of decrease in both the total weight and the weight of the konjac increased with the lapse of heating time.

[Measurement of sugar content (Bx) and solid content]
After the depressurization step in Test Example 1, Bx at 20° C. was measured for the sugar solution from which the konjac was removed by 100-mesh filtration. For the measurement, a digital refractometer (Atago RX-5000α) and a pH meter (Toa DKK HM-30S) were used.

After the decompression step, 15 g of the konjac from which the surface moisture was wiped was weighed and crushed with a homogenizer (Ace Homogenizer manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.) at 10,000 rpm for 2 minutes. The solid content of the crushed product was measured by the normal pressure drying method (sea sand method). In the normal pressure drying method (sea sand method), dry in a dry heat device (ADVANTEC FS-33) at 102°C and take about 3 to 5 g of a sample in a constant weight aluminum flat-bottomed weighing dish containing sea sand. I was fine. After careful heating on a water bath to evaporate most of the water, it was placed in an oven and dried to constant weight. The results are shown in Table 3 and FIGS.

As shown in Table 3 and FIGS. 3 and 4, under normal pressure conditions, no significant increase in sugar solution Bx and konjac solid content was observed after heating for 60 minutes. On the other hand, when the pressure reduction step was performed, the sugar liquid Bx and the konjac solid content increased with the lapse of the heating time.

[Measurement of Sugar Content in Gel Composition]
After the depressurization step for each sample shown in Table 4, 15 g of konjac was weighed after wiping off moisture from the surface, and crushed for 2 minutes at 10,000 rpm with a homogenizer (Ace Homogenizer manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.). 0.5 g of the crushed material was accurately weighed, 7 mL of water was added, and the volume was adjusted to 25 mL with acetonitrile. After centrifugation (LYNX6000, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific Co., Ltd.) at 8,000 rpm for 10 minutes at 20°C, the supernatant was measured by HPLC (Agilent 1100 series). The HPLC conditions were as follows.
Column: Nucleosil 5NH2 4.6 x 250mm
Solvent: 70% acetonitrile Flow rate: 1.0 mL/min
Detector: parallax refractometer The results are shown in Table 5 and FIG.

[Measurement of pigment content in gel composition]
After the depressurization step for each sample shown in Table 4, 15 g of konjac was weighed after wiping off moisture from the surface, and crushed for 2 minutes at 10,000 rpm with a homogenizer (Ace Homogenizer manufactured by Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.). 0.6 to 0.8 g of the crushed material was precisely weighed, 5 mL of 1N hydrochloric acid and 5 mL of 99.5% ethanol were added, and left at room temperature for 1 hour. After centrifugation at 10,000 G for 10 minutes at 20° C., the supernatant was adjusted to 20 mL with 50% ethanol, and the absorbance at 510 nm was measured. Results are shown in Table 6 and FIG.

[Measurement of dimensions of gel composition]
After the depressurization process of samples 1 to 6 in Table 1, the length of the long side and the short side of 10 konjac grains whose surface was wiped off was measured, and the average value was obtained. The results are shown in Table 7 and FIG.

As shown in Table 7 and FIG. 7, the decompression step reduced the volume of konjac over time.

As described above, according to the method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to the present invention, the water content in the gel composition is reduced, but this is not due to replacement of sugar with water, This is believed to be due to shrinkage of the gel composition. The synergistic effect of this shrinkage and the properties of the impregnating liquid is considered to be capable of imparting functionality such as acid resistance, salt resistance, heat resistance, and freeze resistance.

[Test Example 2]
The above konjac was used as the gel composition. At least a portion of the water content of the konjac was reduced by centrifugation. As a water removal step, centrifugation was performed with a centrifuge at 3,000 G for 20 minutes. The water content of the konjac after the water removal step was 90% by weight or more (measured value: 92.4% by weight) for all samples. The normal pressure drying method (sea sand method) was used to measure the water content. Purified water was added to fructose-glucose liquid sugar to prepare a sugar liquid having a sugar content (Bx) of 70 to prepare an impregnating liquid. The centrifugally separated konjac was impregnated with this impregnation solution at a ratio of 2:1: weight of impregnation solution: weight of konjac to be impregnated. Decompression is performed by weighing 100 g of each sample into a 200 mL eggplant-shaped flask, heating it to the temperature of each condition in a water bath (YAMATO BT-15), and then using an evaporator (rotary evaporator Buchi Rotavapor (registered trademark) R-300). The pressure was reduced at 85° C. for 60 minutes at a degree of vacuum of 260 mbar, and a gel composition of sample 15 was obtained. On the other hand, using konjac as the gel composition, performing the same impregnation step using fructose glucose liquid sugar as the impregnation solution, maintaining at 85 ° C. for 60 minutes and not performing the decompression step, the gel composition of sample 16 I made it. The obtained gel compositions of Samples 15 and 16 were observed by SEM. For SEM, a scanning electron microscope (manufactured by JEOL Ltd., JSM-6010LA) was used. SEM images are shown in FIGS.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, the white portion is the surface of the konjac. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it was found that fructose-glucose liquid sugar permeates the gel composition (Sample 15) subjected to vacuum treatment.

It should be considered that the embodiments and examples disclosed above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and includes all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims.

Claims (10)

a water removing step of removing at least part of the water of the gel composition containing dietary fiber;
an impregnation step of impregnating the gel composition from which at least part of the water has been removed with an impregnation solution containing lactose ;
A depressurizing step of depressurizing the gel composition impregnated with the impregnation liquid while heating to concentrate until the solid content of the gel composition becomes 73% or more ;
a cooling step of cooling the concentrated gel composition to precipitate lactose contained in the impregnation liquid as crystals,
A method for improving the quality of a gel composition, further comprising a seeding step of adding fine crystals of lactose in the cooling step and slowly cooling to 20°C or less . 2. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to claim 1, wherein the water removal step is performed by centrifugation, drum-type vacuum filtration, belt filter filtration, or gravity filtration. The quality of the gel composition according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the gel composition is produced by adding an alkaline coagulant to a mixture of glucomannan and a polysaccharide thickener other than glucomannan. How to improve. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the gel composition is a thermo-irreversible gel. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the gel composition is konjac. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the gel composition comprises 1 part of glucomannan or konjac powder, 15 parts of starch or less, 100 parts or less of water, and an alkaline coagulant. A method for upgrading the described gel composition. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the gel composition is food. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the gel composition is a lure. The method for improving the quality of a gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the gel composition is a pharmaceutical composition containing a drug. The gel composition from which at least part of water is removed in the water removal step and is impregnated with the impregnation liquid in the impregnation step contains 90 % by weight or more of water. A method for improving the quality of the gel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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