JP7271263B2 - Method for producing food containing air bubbles, method for producing food package containing air bubbles, and method for producing food package containing frozen air bubbles - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for producing an air bubble-containing food product, a method for producing an air bubble-containing food package, and a method for producing a frozen air bubble-containing food package.

Conventionally, foam-containing foods such as whipped cream and meringue are sometimes made to contain gelling agents and thickening agents.
Patent Document 1 proposes a method of producing frozen whipped cream by whipping raw materials containing water-soluble dietary fiber and sugars and freezing the whipped cream. Moreover, Patent Document 2 proposes a method of mixing whipped cream and a gelling agent and freezing the mixture to produce frozen whipped cream.

On the other hand, Patent Literature 3 proposes a method of mixing whipped cream and non-whipped cream having a higher milk fat content and freezing the mixture to produce frozen whipped cream. In Patent Document 3, whipped cream and non-whipped cream are mixed by a static mixer.

JP-A-5-76281 JP 2019-33675 A JP-A-2001-321074

However, as in Patent Document 1, when the ingredients before whipping contain a gelling agent or a thickening agent, the texture of the resulting whipped cream is sufficient in terms of lightness and fluffyness. It is inadequate in terms of elastic elasticity.
According to the studies of the present inventors, this problem is caused by adding a gelling agent or a thickening agent before whipping. Therefore, we investigated adding a gelling agent or a thickening agent after whipping. For mixing the whipped cream and the gelling agent or thickening agent solution, a static mixer was used as in Patent Document 3. As a result, there is a problem that hard particles (eg, gel) are generated during mixing, and the texture is spoiled. The static mixer is a device in which the stirring means is fixed without moving, and the fluid is stirred by passing through the fixed stirring means.
Patent document 2 is a technique for mixing whipped cream and a gelling agent, but a system for continuously mixing the whipped cream and the gelling agent is required for industrial large-scale production. . However, since the conventional continuous mixing system uses a static mixer, it is difficult to uniformly mix the whipped cream and the gelling agent, and it is difficult to obtain a bubble-containing food with a smooth texture. there were.
In addition, when the manufactured whipped cream is filled in a container and frozen to form a frozen whipped cream package, after thawing the frozen whipped cream package, the length of 6 to 6 on the upper surface of the thawed whipped cream A 7 cm recessed valley was sometimes formed. As a result, the aesthetic appearance of the product may be impaired, and this point has been one of the problems of the frozen whipped cream package.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an aerated food product that can continuously produce an aerated food product that is light, elastic, and has a smooth texture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an air bubble-containing food package in which such an air bubble-containing food is filled in a container, and a method for producing an aesthetically pleasing frozen air bubble-containing food package. and

[1] A step of continuously supplying a foamed substance and a liquid substance that thickens due to contact with the foamed substance to a dynamic stirring device equipped with a dynamic stirring means, and stirring by means of the dynamic stirring means. has
A method for producing an air bubble-containing food product, wherein stirring by the dynamic stirring means is started within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material are combined.
[2] The method for producing an air bubble-containing food according to [1], wherein the ratio represented by (the specific gravity of the liquid substance)/(the specific gravity of the foamed substance) is 1.9 to 3.8.
[3] The method for producing a bubble-containing food according to [1] or [2], wherein the dynamic stirring device comprises a cylinder through which the foamed material and the liquid material pass, and a stirring blade that rotates within the cylinder. .
[4] The method for producing a bubble-containing food according to [3], wherein the stirring blade is rotated at a peripheral speed of 15 to 512 cm/s.
[5] Any one of [1] to [4], wherein the liquid material is supplied to the confluence position from below the confluence position of the foamed material and the liquid material to merge with the foamed material. A method for producing an aerated food product.
[6] Obtaining an air-bubble-containing food by the method for producing an air-bubble-containing food according to any one of [1] to [5], filling a container with the obtained air-bubble-containing food, and obtaining an air-bubble-containing food package. A method for producing a food package.
[7] An air bubble-containing food package is obtained by the method for producing an air bubble-containing food package according to [6], the air bubble-containing food inside the obtained air bubble-containing food package is frozen, and a frozen air bubble-containing food package is obtained. A method for producing a food package containing frozen air bubbles.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the moving distance of the stirring tip of the stirring blade per stirring time of the foamed material and the liquid material is 180 to 27000 cm.

According to the method for producing an air bubble-containing food product of the present invention, it is possible to continuously produce an air bubble-containing food product that is light, elastic, and has a smooth texture.
According to the method for producing frozen air bubble-containing food of the present invention, it is possible to produce a frozen air bubble-containing food package excellent in appearance.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an air bubble-containing food production system used in a method for producing an air bubble-containing food according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example of the manufacturing system shown in FIG. 1; 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modification of the dynamic stirring device of the manufacturing system shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example of the manufacturing system shown in FIG. 1;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

(manufacturing system)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an air bubble-containing food production system used in a method for producing an air bubble-containing food according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The manufacturing system 100 of this example includes a first storage tank 1, a foaming device 2, a first liquid feeding pipe 3, a first discharge pipe 10, a second storage tank 11, and a dasher as a dynamic stirring device. 12 , a second liquid feeding pipe 13 , and a second discharge pipe 15 .
The first storage tank 1 stores a foaming raw material.
The foaming device 2 foams the foamable raw material to form a foamed material.
The second storage tank 11 stores liquid.
The dasher 12 agitates the foam and liquid.

The first liquid-sending pipe 3 connects the first storage tank 1 and the foaming device 2 . A metering pump 4 is provided in the first liquid feeding pipe 3, and by operating the metering pump 4, the foaming raw material in the first storage tank 1 is supplied to the foaming device 2. . In addition, an air introduction pipe 5 is connected to the downstream side of the metering pump 4 of the first liquid-sending pipe 3, and air enters the foaming raw material of the first liquid-sending pipe 3 through the air introduction pipe 5. It is designed to
The first discharge pipe 10 connects the foaming device 2 and the dasher 12 . A metering pump 9 is provided in the first discharge pipe 10 , and by operating the metering pump 9 , foamed material is discharged from the foaming device 2 and supplied to the dasher 12 .
The second liquid-sending pipe 13 connects the second storage tank 11 and the first discharge pipe 10 . A metering pump 14 is provided in the second liquid-sending pipe 13 . By operating the metering pump 14 , the liquid in the second storage tank 11 joins the foam in the first discharge pipe 10 at the confluence position 10 a and is supplied to the dasher 12 .
The second discharge pipe 15 discharges the mixture of the foamed material and the liquid material (bubble-containing food) from the dasher 12 .

The first storage tank 1, the first liquid-sending pipe 3, the foaming device 2, the first discharge pipe 10, the second storage tank 11, and the second liquid-sending pipe 13 each have a jacket for temperature control (not shown). is installed.

The foaming device 2 includes a cylinder 7 through which the foamable raw material passes and a stirring blade 8 that rotates within the cylinder 7 .
The cylinder 7 is a closed container having a cylindrical side wall, a lid that closes one axial end of the side wall, and a bottom that closes the other axial end of the side wall. An introduction port is provided on one end side of the side wall, and the first liquid feeding pipe 3 is connected. A discharge port is provided at the bottom, and a first discharge pipe 10 is connected. Note that the discharge port to which the first discharge pipe 10 is connected may be provided at a location other than the bottom, such as a side wall.
In the case of a batch-type dynamic stirrer, the stirring blades are basically operated in an open container, but in the case of a continuous dynamic stirrer, the stirring blades should be operated in a closed state. is the basis.
The stirring blade 8 has a stirring shaft and a stirring blade attached to the stirring shaft, and is arranged coaxially with the cylinder 7 . The stirring shaft is inserted through the lid of the cylinder 7 and one end of the stirring shaft protrudes from the lid of the cylinder 7 . One end of the stirring shaft is connected to the motor 6 . By operating the motor 6, the stirring blade 8 is rotated to stir the inside of the cylinder 7. As the stirring blade of the stirring blade 8, for example, a pin type can be used.

The dasher 12 comprises a cylinder 17 through which the foam and liquid pass, and a stirring blade 18 rotating within the cylinder 17, which is dynamic stirring means.
A dynamic stirring means means a means for mechanically operating to stir a fluid, such as a rotatable stirring blade.
The cylinder 17 is a closed container having a cylindrical side wall, a lid that closes one axial end of the side wall, and a bottom that closes the other axial end of the side wall. An introduction port 17a is provided at the bottom, to which the first discharge pipe 10 is connected. A discharge port 17b is provided at one end of the side wall, and the second discharge pipe 15 is connected.
The stirring blade 18 includes a stirring shaft and a plurality of stirring blades attached to the stirring shaft, and is arranged coaxially with the cylinder 17 . The stirring shaft is inserted through the lid of the cylinder 17 , and one end of the stirring shaft protrudes from the lid of the cylinder 17 . One end of the stirring shaft is connected to the motor 16 . By operating the motor 16, the stirring blades 18 are rotated and the inside of the cylinder 17 is stirred. Examples of the stirring blade of the stirring blade 18 include a plate-like paddle type, wire type, and scraping type. The number of stirring blades is not particularly limited, but is about 2 to 50, for example.
A clearance, which is the distance between the tip of the stirring blade of the stirring blade 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 17, is, for example, 0.1 to 10 mm.

(Method for producing air-bubble-containing food)
An example of a method for producing an air bubble-containing food product using the production system 100 shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.
First, a foamable raw material is foamed to obtain a foam (foaming step). In the foaming step, the metering pump 4 is operated to feed the foamable raw material in the first storage tank 1, and the motor 6 is operated to rotate the stirring blades 8. The foaming raw material is supplied to the foaming device 2 through the first liquid-sending pipe 3 . At this time, air is mixed into the foamable raw material from the air introduction pipe 5 . The foaming raw material mixed with air is introduced into the cylinder 7 and passed through the cylinder 7 while being stirred by the stirring blades 8 to become foamed material.
Next, the foamed material and the liquid material are continuously supplied to the dasher 12 and stirred by the stirring blade 18 (mixing step). In the mixing step, the metering pump 9 is operated to discharge the foamed material from the foaming device 2, the metering pump 14 is operated to feed the liquid material in the second storage tank 11, and the motor 16 is operated. to rotate the stirring blade 18. The foam is supplied to dasher 12 through first discharge line 10 . The liquid substance is supplied to the first discharge pipe 10 through the second liquid-sending pipe 13 , joins the foamed substance at the confluence position 10a, and is supplied to the dasher 12 . The foamed material and liquid material are introduced into the cylinder 17 and passed through the cylinder 17 while being stirred by the stirring blades 18 to become food containing air bubbles. The food product containing air bubbles is discharged from the second discharge pipe 15 .
In this way, an aerated food product is produced continuously.
If necessary, the food product containing air bubbles is filled into a container (not shown) arranged at the outlet of the second discharge pipe 15 (filling step). Thereby, an air bubble-containing food package is obtained.
After the filling process, if necessary, the air-bubble-containing food inside the air-bubble-containing food package is frozen (freezing process). As a result, a food package containing frozen air bubbles is obtained.

"foaming process"
As the foaming raw material, those suitable for the intended foam can be used. Examples of foamed products include whipped cream and meringue. As the foamed product, whipped cream or meringue is preferable because it provides a fluffy texture.

Foaming raw materials include, for example, oil-in-water emulsions.
The oil-in-water emulsion is not particularly limited, but is preferably a composition containing milk fat and vegetable oil as the fat, and in which the fat is dispersed in an oil-in-water state.
The oil-in-water emulsion preferably contains foaming ingredients such as whipped cream, egg white, soybean protein, and emulsifiers.
The oil-in-water emulsion may appropriately contain other components as long as the foamability is not impaired. Other ingredients include, for example, sugars and flavorings.

“Cream” is an emulsion prepared using raw materials containing fat, and is subject to the Ministerial Ordinance for Milk, etc. No. 52) (hereinafter also referred to as "fresh cream"), and creams classified as "foods with milk or dairy products as the main ingredient" stipulated in the Ministerial Ordinance for Milk , Also referred to as “milk master cream”).
Fresh cream is "a product obtained by removing components other than milk fat from raw milk, cow's milk, or special milk".
Dairy cream contains ingredients other than milk fat (vegetable oil, protein, various additives (emulsifiers, stabilizers, fragrances, etc.), etc.), and contains only milk fat as the fat content (pure milk fat type) cream), a mixed type containing milk fat and vegetable oil (so-called compound cream), and a pure vegetable oil type containing only vegetable oil (so-called non-daily cream).

A commercial product may be used as the foaming raw material, or one prepared by a known method may be used.
Before storing the foamable raw material in the first storage tank 1, or in the first storage tank 1, heat sterilization may be performed as necessary. Sterilization conditions are not particularly limited, and known sterilization conditions can be used. For example, heating at 90° C. for 15 seconds, or heating conditions that provide an equivalent sterilization effect are preferred.

The temperature of the foamable raw material during storage in the first storage tank 1, feeding, and foaming in the foaming device 2 is appropriately set so as not to adversely affect the components contained in the foamable raw material. be able to. When the foaming material is whipping cream, the temperature can be set at 1 to 10°C, for example.
The temperature of the foam is about 5-20°C.

The foamable raw material is preferably foamed so that the overrun of the foamed product is 100 to 300%. The foam overrun is more preferably 120 to 250%, even more preferably 150 to 235%. If the overrun is at least the lower limit of the above range, an aerated food product with a lighter texture can be obtained. If the overrun is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of air leakage during whipping.
Overrun is the percentage obtained by subtracting [mass of whipped sample of the same volume] from [mass of non-whipped sample of constant volume] and dividing the obtained value by [mass of whipped sample of the same volume] is.
The overrun of the foam can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of air introduced from the air introduction pipe 5 .

"Mixing process"
The liquid is thickened by contact with the foam.
The liquid thickens, for example, due to a temperature difference with the foam or a chemical reaction between components in the liquid and foam.
The liquid substance is preferably one that gels or solidifies upon contact with the foamed substance. If the liquid gels or solidifies on contact with the foam, mixing with conventional static mixers will result in relatively hard granules (gels or solids). Easy to lose texture. According to the present invention, even in such a case, a smooth texture can be obtained.
The liquid itself may be an aerated food product, but preferably does not contain air bubbles. In this case, "not containing air bubbles" means that no foaming operation is performed.

Liquids typically include a thickening component and water.
Examples of thickening components include gelatin, agar, pectin, gelling agents such as alginic acid and its monovalent metal salts (sodium salts, etc.), thickening agents, and the like. Alginic acid and its monovalent metal salts react with polyvalent metal ions such as calcium ions and magnesium ions to gel. Known ones can be used for each of these thickening components. These thickening components may be used in combination of two or more. As the thickening component, a gelling agent is preferable because the liquid substance gels or solidifies upon contact with the foamed substance.
The liquid may optionally contain other ingredients as long as it does not interfere with the property of thickening upon contact with the foam. Other ingredients include, for example, sugars and flavorings.

Examples of liquid substances containing a gelling agent as a thickening component include the following.
(1) A liquid containing a gelling agent having a gelling temperature higher than the temperature of the foam.
(2) A liquid containing a gelling agent that reacts with components contained in the foam to form a gel.

The liquid material of (1) is stored in the second storage tank 11 at a temperature higher than the gelling temperature of the gelling agent, fed, and brought into contact with the foamed material having a temperature lower than the gelling temperature.
Examples of the gelling agent in the liquid of (1) include gelatin (gelling temperature 5 to 20°C) and agar (gelling temperature 25 to 40°C). These gelling agents may be used in combination of two or more.

The concentration of the gelling agent in the liquid (1) is preferably a concentration that satisfies the following conditions a and b. If the concentration satisfies the condition a and the condition b, it is easy to obtain an air bubble-containing food with an elastic texture.
Condition a: Concentration at which the hardness of the gel obtained by cooling the liquid from 60° C. to 10° C. and holding it for 24 hours is 0.05 N or more and 50 N or less.
Condition b: Concentration at which the viscosity of the liquid at 60°C becomes 10000 mPa·s or less.

The hardness under condition a was measured by setting a disk-shaped knife (No. 1, diameter 10 mm) in a rheometer (CONPAC 100-II, manufactured by Sun Electronics Co., Ltd.), and applying the knife to the gel at 10°C at 80 mm/ It is the breaking strength at which the gel breaks when penetrated at a rate of 10 minutes.
The viscosity under condition b is measured with a Brookfield viscometer.

When the gelling agent is gelatin, the gelatin concentration in the liquid is preferably 5-20% by mass, more preferably 10-15% by mass. If the gelatin concentration is within the above range, the conditions a and b are likely to be satisfied.

Examples of the gelling agent in the liquid of (2) include monovalent metal salts of alginic acid, pectin (especially low-methoxyl pectin (LM pectin)), and the like. Since these gelling agents react with calcium to form a gel, foams containing calcium (for example, whipped cream) are combined. These gelling agents may be used in combination of two or more.

A commercially available liquid may be used, or one prepared by a known method may be used.
For example, the above liquid (1) can be prepared by dissolving a gelling agent in hot water. The temperature of the hot water is preferably 60° C. or higher (eg, 90° C.) as long as it can dissolve the gelling agent.

Prior to storing the liquid in the second storage tank 11, or in the second storage tank 11, heat sterilization may be performed as necessary. Sterilization conditions are not particularly limited, and known sterilization conditions can be used. For example, heating at 80.degree.

The temperature of the liquid during storage in the second storage tank 11 and during feeding can be appropriately set so as not to adversely affect the components contained in the liquid. When the liquid contains gelatin, the temperature can be, for example, 30-50°C.

The ratio represented by (specific gravity of liquid matter)/(specific gravity of foamed matter) (hereinafter also simply referred to as “ratio of specific gravity”) is preferably 1.9 to 3.8, more preferably 2.1 to 3.8. 3 is more preferred, and 2.4 to 3.2 are even more preferred. As the ratio of specific gravity increases, it tends to be more difficult to uniformly mix the foamed material and the liquid material in a conventionally used static mixer. According to the present invention, even when the specific gravity ratio is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, the foamed material and the liquid material can be uniformly mixed. If the specific gravity ratio is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, the foamed material and the liquid material can be mixed more uniformly, and air leakage can be suppressed.

The mass ratio of foam to liquid is preferably 6:4 or more, more preferably 8:2 or more. If the ratio of foamed matter is at least the above lower limit, the texture of the foamed food will be lighter and more fluffy.

When the liquid contains gelatin, the ratio of gelatin to the sum of the foamed material and the liquid is preferably 0.5 to 2.7% by mass. If the ratio of gelatin is within the above range, a bubble-containing food with a more elastic texture can be obtained. Moreover, when the foam-containing food is whipped cream, the flower-making property is also good.

When the liquid contains at least one selected from the group consisting of agar and pectin, the ratio of the total of agar and pectin to the total of foam and liquid should be 0.2 to 1.0% by mass. is preferred. If the total ratio of agar and pectin is within the above range, an aerated food product with a more elastic texture can be obtained. Moreover, when the foam-containing food is whipped cream, the flower-making property is also good.

There is no particular limitation on the supply speed (flow rate) of each of the foamed material and the liquid material to the dasher 12 .
The foam flow rate may be, for example, 10-530 mL/s.
The liquid flow rate may be, for example, 0.5-50 mL/s.

In the present embodiment, the foamed product and the liquid product join together at a confluence position 10 a where the second liquid feeding pipe 13 is connected to the first discharge pipe 10 .
When the foamed material and the liquid material are merged, the liquid material is preferably supplied to the merging point 10a from below the merging point 10a of the foamed material and the liquid material. Since the foam has a lower specific gravity than the liquid, if the liquid is supplied horizontally or from above the merging position 10a, there is a concern that the foam will flow back. By supplying the liquid from the bottom to the top, it is possible to suppress backflow of the foamed material.
In order to supply the liquid to the merging position 10a from below, for example, the second liquid feeding pipe 13 may be connected to the first discharge pipe 10 from below.
The angle formed by the supply direction of the liquid with respect to the confluence position 10a and the horizontal direction may be, for example, 10 to 90°. When this angle is 90°, the direction of supply of the liquid is vertically upward.

In the mixing step, stirring by the stirring blade 18 is started within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material are joined. As a result, the foamed material and the liquid material can be uniformly mixed before the liquid material thickens, and a foamed food product with a smooth texture can be obtained.
In FIG. 1, ``start stirring by the dynamic stirring means within 11 seconds after the foam and the liquid are joined'' means that the foam and the liquid are joined at the joining position 10a. This means that the time required to reach the introduction port 17a of the cylinder 17 is within 11 seconds.
The time from the confluence of the foamed material and the liquid material to the start of stirring by the stirring blade 18 is preferably 11 seconds or less, more preferably 9 seconds or less, even more preferably 5 seconds or less, and particularly preferably 0 seconds. .

The time from when the foamed material and the liquid material join to the start of stirring by the stirring blade 18 can be adjusted by adjusting the distance from the confluence position 10a of the foamed material and the liquid material to the inlet 17a. Considering the supply speed of the foamed material and the liquid material, the distance may be adjusted so that the introduction port 17a is reached within 11 seconds from the confluence position 10a.
In the present embodiment, the confluence position 10a of the foamed material and the liquid material is the connection position of the second liquid feeding pipe 13 to the first discharge pipe 10, and the distance from the confluence position 10a to the introduction port 17a is It can be adjusted by the connection position of the second liquid feeding pipe 13 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 17 may be provided with a second inlet 17c to connect the second liquid feeding pipe 13 thereto. In this case, the foamed material supplied from the inlet 17a and the liquid material supplied from the second inlet 17c are merged in the cylinder 17 and stirred by the stirring blade 18, so that the foamed material and the liquid It is possible to reduce the time from when the materials join to the start of stirring by the stirring blade 18 to 0 seconds. Therefore, it can be interpreted that the second inlet 17c also serves as the confluence position 10a.
The second introduction port 17c is provided, for example, on the other end side of the side wall portion of the cylinder 17 (the side opposite to the side on which the discharge port 17b is provided).

When the second inlet 17c is provided in the cylinder 17, as shown in FIG. 3, the cylinder 17 is arranged with the inlet 17a downward and the axis in the vertical direction, and the liquid material flows into the cylinder 17 from below. It is preferable that the second introduction port 17c be inclined with respect to the axis of the cylinder 17 so that the gas is introduced into the cylinder 17a. Thereby, backflow of the foamed material can be suppressed.

As for the stirring conditions, it is sufficient if the foamed material and the liquid material can be sufficiently mixed, but the stirring blade 18 is preferably rotated at a peripheral speed of 15 to 512 cm/s. The peripheral speed is more preferably 25 to 256 cm/s, still more preferably 51 to 154 cm/s. If the peripheral speed is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, the foamed material and the liquid material can be sufficiently mixed. If the peripheral speed is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, air escape during stirring can be suppressed, and the texture of the foamed food product becomes lighter and more fluffy.

The moving distance of the stirring tip of the stirring blade 18 per stirring time of the foamed material and liquid material is preferably 180 to 27000 cm, more preferably 558 to 16500 cm, even more preferably 558 to 11014 cm, and particularly preferably 558 to 5507 cm. If the moving distance of the stirring tip is at least the lower limit of the above range, the foamed material and the liquid material can be sufficiently mixed. If the moving distance of the stirring tip is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, air escape during stirring can be suppressed, and the texture of the foam-containing food becomes lighter and more fluffy.

The number of revolutions of the stirring blade 18 per stirring time of the foamed material and the liquid material is preferably 30 to 1000 times, more preferably 50 to 500 times, and even more preferably 100 to 300 times. If the rotation speed of the stirring blade 18 is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, the foamed material and the liquid material can be sufficiently mixed. If the number of rotations of the stirring blade 18 is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, air escape during stirring can be suppressed, and the texture of the foamed food product becomes lighter and more fluffy.

The stirring time of the foam and liquid is the time during which the foam and liquid are being stirred by the dynamic stirring means. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the time (residence time) for the foam and liquid to pass through the cylinder 17, that is, the time from the introduction port 17a of the cylinder 17 to the discharge port 17b of the foam and/or liquid It's time.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the foamed substance and the liquid substance are introduced from different inlets and pass through the cylinder 17 at different times, the shorter time is used as the stirring time.
The stirring tip is the tip of the stirring blade, that is, the position furthest from the stirring shaft.
The moving distance of the stirring tip is obtained by (peripheral speed of stirring tip (cm/s))×(time (s) for bubbles and liquid to pass through cylinder 17).
The movement distance of the stirring tip can be adjusted by the number of revolutions per unit time (rpm) of the stirring blade 18 and the flow rate of the foamed material and the liquid material.

The specific gravity of the food product containing air bubbles is preferably 0.278 to 0.591, more preferably 0.317 to 0.543, even more preferably 0.331 to 0.484. If the specific gravity is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, the occurrence of air leakage is further suppressed. If the specific gravity is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, the texture will be lighter.

The Penetro hardness at 7°C of the foam-containing food immediately after mixing the foam and liquid is preferably 120 to 330, more preferably 150 to 300, and even more preferably 180 to 270. If the Penetro hardness is equal to or less than the upper limit of the above range, air leakage after defrosting is further suppressed. When the Penetro hardness is equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, it is easy to obtain a chewy texture.

The Penetro hardness is a value (unitless) obtained by multiplying the penetration distance (mm) of a specific cone-shaped cone by 10 when it is dropped and penetrated into the composition under predetermined conditions. More specifically, using a penetrometer, a bottom diameter of 24 mm, a height of 33.5 mm, a tip angle of 40 °, a 12 g aluminum conical cone is penetrated into the sample, and the penetration depth (mm) is 10 The multiplied value is called the Penetro hardness. A larger value indicates softer.

"Filling process"
The shape of the container to be filled with the food product containing air bubbles may be any shape such as bag-like, box-like, tray-like, and cup-like.
When a cup-shaped container is used, it is desirable to seal the container after filling the container with the food product containing air bubbles. .
When a flexible bag-like container is used, it is particularly preferable to use a container in which a mouthpiece can be directly set. If the container is a flexible bag-like container, the thawed aerated food product can be squeezed out of the container. In particular, if the mouthpiece can be set directly, the mouthpiece can be set in the bag-like container after defrosting, and the food containing air bubbles can be topped to form an artificial flower.
The container may be made of any material such as plastic, metal, and paper. When freezing the air-bubble-containing food package, it is preferably made of a material that can withstand low temperatures.
The filling method is not particularly limited, and a known filling method for food containing air bubbles can be employed.

"Freezing process"
There are no particular restrictions on the freezing method. Freezing may be performed batchwise or continuously. Batch-type freezing methods include, for example, a method of storing air-bubble-containing food packages in a freezer. As a continuous freezing method, for example, there is a method in which air bubble-containing food packages are transferred by a conveyor, continuously carried into a freezer compartment, and continuously passed through the freezer compartment. After that, the food packages containing frozen air bubbles can be continuously packed into cardboard boxes or the like by a continuous box packing machine or the like, and collected.
The freezing temperature varies depending on the type and content of the fats and oils used, but is preferably -18° C. or lower, for example.
The frozen food product containing air bubbles can be thawed preferably at room temperature or lower, particularly preferably at 10° C. or lower, and then used for artificial flowers or the like according to a conventional method. There are no particular restrictions on the temperature of the food product containing air bubbles when used for artificial flowers or the like.

(Other embodiments)
Although the present invention has been described by showing the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Each configuration and combination thereof in the above-described embodiment are examples, and addition, omission, replacement, and other modifications of the configuration are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the dasher 12 including the cylinder 17 and the stirring blades 18 is used as the dynamic stirring device, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a stirring pump 21 may be used as the dynamic stirring device.
The stirring pump 21 is, for example, a gear pump including a closed container and a pair of gears (dynamic stirring means) housed in the closed container with their teeth meshing with each other. Each pair of gears is connected to a motor. When the motor is operated to rotate the pair of gears in opposite directions, the foamed material and the liquid material supplied into the closed container are mixed and moved within the closed container and discharged from the closed container. In this case, it is desirable that the time required for the foamed material and the liquid material to reach the introduction port 21a of the stirring pump 21 from the merging position 10a is within 11 seconds.
As the dynamic stirring device, the dasher 12 having the cylinder 17 and the stirring blades 18 is preferable in that the foamed substance and the liquid substance can be mixed more uniformly.

As shown in FIG. 4, a static mixer 22 may be arranged after the dynamic stirrer, and the static mixer 22 may further mix the foamed material and the liquid material stirred by the dynamic stirrer. .
Examples of the static mixer 22 include static mixers manufactured by various companies.

The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Test Example 1>
In this test, the stirrer used for stirring the foamed material and the liquid material, and the time from merging the foamed material and the liquid material to the start of stirring with the stirrer are It was carried out to evaluate the influence on the state of mixing with other substances.

(Example 1, Comparative Example 1)
Using the production system having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, gel whipped cream (bubble-containing food) was produced in the following procedure. As the foaming device 2, a continuous whipper manufactured by Towa Techno Co., Ltd. was used. As the dasher 12, a dynamic mixer manufactured by INDAG was used.

"Preparation of foaming raw materials"
An oil-in-water emulsion was prepared by mixing the raw materials shown in Table 1, heat-sterilized at 90°C for 15 seconds, cooled to 5°C, and temporarily stored in the first storage tank 1. Heat sterilization was performed using a plate-type heat sterilizer manufactured by Morinaga Engineering.

"Preparation of liquids"
Gelatin is dissolved in hot water at 90°C to prepare a gelatin solution (liquid) with a concentration of 10% by mass, heat-sterilized at 80°C for 1 minute, cooled to 40°C, and subjected to second storage. It was temporarily stored in the tank 11 tank. This concentration was a concentration satisfying the conditions a and b described above. Heat sterilization was performed using a plate-type heat sterilizer manufactured by Morinaga Engineering.

"Foaming of foamable raw materials"
The metering pump 4 and motor 6 were operated to whip the oil-in-water emulsion to obtain whipped cream. The overrun of whipped cream was 235%.

"Mixing foam and liquid"
The metering pumps 9 and 14 were operated to supply the foamed material and the liquid material to the dasher 12, and the motor 16 of the dasher 12 was operated to stir the foamed material and the liquid material to obtain a gel whipped cream. .
The connection position of the second liquid-sending pipe 13 was adjusted so that the time shown in Table 2 after the foamed material and the liquid material were merged until stirring by the dasher 12 was started. The rotation speed of the stirring blade was 100 rpm. The moving distance of the stirring tip of the stirring blade per stirring time was 5500 cm, and the peripheral speed was 51.3 cm/s. The mass ratio of whipped cream: gelatin solution was 10:1, the flow rate of whipped cream was 17.4 mL/s, and the flow rate of gelatin solution was 0.55 mL/s. The temperature of the whipped cream and the gelatin solution were 13.5°C and 40°C, respectively, when the whipped cream and the gelatin solution were merged.

"Fill, Freeze"
The resulting gel-like whipped cream was filled in an 800 mL plastic container, covered with a plastic sheet, and heat-sealed to obtain a whipped cream package. This whipped cream package was immediately carried into a freezer and frozen at -18°C or lower for 48 hours to obtain a frozen whipped cream package.

(Examples 2-3)
Using the production system having the configuration shown in FIG. 4, a gel whipped cream (bubble-containing food product) was produced in the following procedure. As the foaming device 2, a continuous whipper manufactured by Towa Techno Co., Ltd. was used. As the stirring pump 21, an RP pump (gear-type rotor) manufactured by Daido Metal Co., Ltd. was used. As the static mixer 22, a static mixer manufactured by Noritake Co., Ltd. was used.

In the same manner as in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, preparation of the foamable raw material, preparation of the liquid product, and foaming of the foamable raw material were carried out.
Next, the metering pumps 9 and 14 are operated to supply the foamed material and the liquid material to the dasher 12, the motor of the agitation pump 21 is operated to agitate the foamed material and the liquid material, followed by the static mixer. Further mixing was performed at 22 to obtain a gel-like whipped cream.
The connection position of the second liquid-sending pipe 13 was adjusted so that the time shown in Table 2 after the foamed material and the liquid material were merged until stirring by the dynamic stirrer was started. The whipped cream:gelatin solution mass ratio, whipped cream flow rate, gelatin solution flow rate, whipped cream temperature, and gelatin solution temperature were the same as in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively.
Thereafter, filling and freezing were performed in the same manner as in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

(Comparative example 2)
The same operation as in Example 2 was performed except that the stirring pump 21 was removed from the production system having the configuration shown in FIG. A cream (foam-containing food product) was produced.
It took 13 seconds to introduce the foamed material and the liquid material into the static mixer 22 after they were combined.
Thereafter, filling and freezing were performed in the same manner as in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

(evaluation)
The specific gravity (specific gravity after mixing) and Penetro hardness of the gel-like whipped cream obtained in each example were measured. Moreover, the mixed state was evaluated by the following evaluation methods. Furthermore, the state of the top surface of the whipped cream after thawing was evaluated by the following evaluation method. Table 2 shows the results.
Table 2 also shows the theoretical specific gravity after mixing. The smaller the difference between the post-mixing theoretical specific gravity and the post-mixing specific gravity, the more suppressed the air escape during mixing.
The post-mixing theoretical specific gravity was obtained by the following formula using the mass mixing ratio of the foamed material and the liquid material.
(specific gravity of foam x mass mixing ratio of foam) + (specific gravity of liquid x mass mixing ratio of liquid)
= Theoretical specific gravity after mixing The mass mixing ratio is the mass-based mixing ratio of the foamed material and the liquid material, and can be calculated by the following formula. The mass in this case becomes the mass flow rate when changed per unit time.
Mass of foamed material / (mass of foamed material + mass of liquid material) = mass mixing ratio of foamed material Mass of liquid material / (mass of foamed material + mass of liquid material) = mass mixing ratio of liquid material

"Evaluation method of mixed state"
The mixed state was visually confirmed and evaluated according to the following criteria.
⊚: No unevenness, smooth, and grains are not observed.
◯: Fine grains are observed when viewed closely.
Δ: Small grains are observed.
x: Granules are observed.

"Method for evaluating the condition of the top surface of whipped cream after thawing"
The frozen whipped cream package was allowed to stand in a refrigerator at 5°C for 24 hours to thaw, the sheet was peeled off, and the state of the top surface of the thawed whipped cream was visually confirmed and evaluated according to the following criteria.
◯: No valleys were formed on the upper surface, and the upper surface was smooth.
x: A valley is formed on the upper surface, and the appearance is spoiled.

From the results in Table 2, when the stirring by the dynamic stirring means is started within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material are merged, a well-mixed air-containing food can be obtained, and after thawing, It was found that a frozen air bubble-containing food package excellent in quality (beauty) can be obtained. It should be noted that by starting the stirring by the dynamic stirring means within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material are merged, the food package containing frozen air bubbles of such excellent quality can be obtained. This was discovered by the inventors for the first time.

<Test Example 2>
This test was conducted to evaluate the influence of the peripheral speed of the stirring blade or the moving distance of the stirring tip of the stirring blade per stirring time on the physical properties (specific gravity, Penetro hardness) of the food product containing air bubbles.

(Examples 4-7)
A gelatinous whipped cream (bubble-containing food) was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the number of revolutions of the stirring blade, the flow rate of the whipped cream, and the flow rate of the gelatin solution were changed as shown in Table 3.
The specific gravity (specific gravity after mixing) and Penetro hardness of the gel-like whipped cream obtained in each example were measured. Table 3 shows the results. Table 3 also shows the theoretical specific gravity after mixing.

From the results in Table 3, it can be confirmed that air leakage can be suppressed when the peripheral speed of the stirring blade is low or when the moving distance of the stirring tip of the stirring blade per stirring time is small.
In particular, when stirring by the dynamic stirring means is started within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material join, the value obtained by subtracting the theoretical specific gravity after mixing from the specific gravity after mixing (actual value) is 0. It can be confirmed that it is preferably 0.040 or less, more preferably 0.025 or less, and even more preferably 0.009 or less.

1 first storage tank, 2 foaming device, 3 first liquid feeding pipe, 4 metering pump, 5 air introduction pipe, 6 motor, 7 cylinder, 8 stirring blade, 9 metering pump, 10 first discharge pipe, 11 second second Storage tank, 12 dasher (dynamic stirrer), 13 second liquid feeding pipe, 14 metering pump, 15 second discharge pipe, 16 motor, 17 cylinder, 17a inlet, 17b outlet, 17c second inlet, 18 Stirring blade, 100 Air bubble-containing food manufacturing system

Claims (6)

A step of continuously supplying a foamed product and a liquid substance that increases in viscosity due to contact with the foamed product to a dynamic stirring device equipped with a dynamic stirring means, and stirring by the dynamic stirring means. ,
supplying the liquid material to the merging position from below the merging position of the foamed material and the liquid material to merge with the foamed material;
A method for producing an air bubble-containing food product, wherein stirring by the dynamic stirring means is started within 11 seconds after the foamed material and the liquid material are combined. 2. The method for producing an air bubble-containing food according to claim 1, wherein the ratio represented by (the specific gravity of the liquid)/(the specific gravity of the foam) is 1.9 to 3.8. 3. The method for producing an aerated food product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dynamic stirring device comprises a cylinder through which the foamed material and the liquid material pass, and a stirring blade that rotates within the cylinder. The method for producing an aerated food product according to claim 3, wherein the stirring blade is rotated at a peripheral speed of 15 to 512 cm/s. An aerated food product obtained by obtaining an aerated food product by the method for producing an aerated food product according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , filling a container with the obtained aerated food product, and obtaining an aerated food package. A method for manufacturing a package. An air bubble-containing food package is obtained by the method for producing an air bubble-containing food package according to claim 5 , and the air bubble-containing food inside the obtained air bubble-containing food package is frozen to obtain a frozen air bubble-containing food package. , a method for producing a food package containing frozen air bubbles.

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