JP7383279B2 - Low-odor konnyaku manufacturing method and its manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to low-odor konjac for consumption for the purpose of dieting or carbohydrate intake restriction, a method for producing low-odor konnyaku, and an apparatus for producing the same.

In recent years, Western-style eating habits have become widespread in Japan, and opportunities to regularly consume large amounts of livestock products, oils and fats, etc. are increasing. Along with these changes in eating habits, it has been found that the number of people diagnosed as obese during health checkups is also on the rise. People who have been diagnosed with obesity have a high possibility of developing diabetes in the future, so they are now also referred to as pre-diabetics.

Currently, the number of diabetic patients in Japan is said to exceed 20 million, including those who are pre-diabetic, and countermeasures against obesity, one of the causes of diabetes, have become an urgent national issue. In order to prevent obesity, there are proposals to use foods with low calories and reduced carbohydrates, and against this background, konjac, known as a low-calorie and high-fiber food, is once again in the spotlight. It's starting.

Here, konjac is generally made by adding an alkaline coagulant to water, glucomannan, etc. and mixing them to create a relatively strongly alkaline kneaded product with a system pH of 11 or higher, which is then heated. It is a gel-like substance made by gelling. Generally, it is known that when this pH is low, it becomes difficult for gelation to proceed, and pH is considered to be a factor that greatly influences the gelation reaction. Note that the pH here refers to the pH of water when the konnyaku mixture before gelation is dispersed in water to a content of 10% by weight, and the pH described in the following text is All measurements are assumed to be made using this measurement method.

There are various theories about the mechanism of this gelation, but one of them is that the acetyl groups present on glucomannan molecules are detached under alkaline conditions, and hydrogen bonds are generated between glucomannan molecules accordingly. It is believed that a three-dimensional crosslinked structure is formed.
When specifically manufacturing konnyaku with such a characteristic structure, water is added to konnyaku flour whose main component is glucomannan, and an alkaline coagulant such as calcium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, or calcined eggshell calcium is added. A method has been adopted in which these are heated and solidified while being kneaded.

In Japan, konnyaku is a traditional ingredient that has been used since ancient times, and is very familiar to us Japanese people, so it is thought that there is no resistance to incorporating it into our diet. Especially in today's era where diet is emphasized, it can be said that it is easy to be accepted into the diet. For this reason, manufacturers have introduced a large number of products to the market in recent years in an effort to make konjac permeate people's diets. Examples include konnyaku noodles, which are a substitute for pasta, and granular konjac noodles, which are a substitute for rice.Recently, products that not only resemble the real thing in shape, but also have the same taste and even texture have appeared. ing.
The taste can be adjusted by adding various seasonings, and the texture can be adjusted by adjusting the elasticity of the konnyaku itself. There are various ways to adjust this elasticity, such as adjusting the blend of raw materials, making konnyaku porous, etc.

As mentioned above, various types of konnyaku products have been introduced into the market, but there are still some issues that need to be solved in order for them to further penetrate the market. Among these issues, the unique odor of konnyaku (hereinafter referred to as konnyaku odor) has been a problem for some time, and many consumers dislike this konnyaku odor and hesitate to consume konjac products. In order for konnyaku to be widely accepted in the market as an effective diet food, this problem of konjac odor must be resolved as soon as possible.
Here, it is generally known that the konjac odor is trimethylamine, dimethylamine, etc. derived from konjac raw materials such as konnyaku powder and an alkali coagulant. Various manufacturers have been studying methods for removing such konnyaku odor, and several inventions for efficiently removing konnyaku odor have been recently disclosed.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention entitled "Method for producing deodorized konnyaku powder", which is a method for removing konjac odor components from konnyaku powder while subjecting a dispersion of konnyaku powder to ultrasonic treatment. ing.
In the invention described in Patent Document 1, ultrasonic irradiation is performed on a dispersion of konnyaku powder made by adding an aqueous alcohol solution or an aqueous solution of saccharides to konnyaku powder or a crushed product of konnyaku potatoes, and the dispersion of konnyaku powder is made from konnyaku powder. The method is characterized in that after odor components and impurities are extracted into the dispersion, the deodorized and purified konnyaku powder is separated and recovered from the liquid phase.

With this configuration, by applying ultrasonic waves, the components of konjac odor and impurities in konjac powder can be transferred to the alcohol aqueous solution in a shorter time than the previous method of simply immersing the powder in an alcohol aqueous solution. It has an effect.
Because of this effect, the invention described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to deodorize konnyaku powder and remove impurities in a short time, and to efficiently produce high-quality konnyaku powder without the characteristic odor of konjac powder. have an effect.

On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention of a method for removing konjac odor components from konjac or its powder by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction or vacuum distillation under the title "Method for removing off-flavor components from konnyaku and konjac powder." ing.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 is characterized in that trimethylamine, which is a component of konjac odor, is efficiently removed by soaking konnyaku or dried powder of konnyaku in ethanol or the like, and then performing extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide. .

With such a configuration, since the konnyaku etc. are immersed in ethanol, supercritical carbon dioxide has the effect of making it easier for supercritical carbon dioxide to permeate inside the konjac. Furthermore, by using ethanol, which has a strong affinity for trimethylamine, it also has the effect of increasing the amount of trimethylamine dissolved in supercritical carbon dioxide.
Due to these effects, the invention described in Patent Document 2 has the effect that the components of konjac odor contained in konnyaku etc. can be easily removed, and konnyaku products with no konjac odor and high commercial value can be provided to the market. has.

Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an invention related to a manufacturing method for reducing the odor of konjac under the name "method for manufacturing odor-reducing glucomannan gel." The invention described in Patent Document 3 assumes that the cause of the odor is derived from alkali, and then adds a neutralizing agent (organic acid salts) to foodstuffs such as konnyaku containing glucomannan as a main component to reduce the odor. After being added in advance, water is added to this food material to prepare dispersion water, and the dispersion water is further heated while adding an alkaline coagulant to gel it.

A method with such a configuration has the effect that organic acid salts can be uniformly distributed in the dispersion water without resistance, regardless of whether the food material swells when dispersed in water or not. This also has the effect of making the distribution of organic acid salts present inside the konnyaku uniform. Due to these effects, the invention described in Patent Document 3 makes it possible to reduce the odor including the inside of the glucomannan gel, and provides a konnyaku product that is difficult to release odor even when cut and is easy to ingest. It has the effect of being able to.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-256704 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-047250 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-329089

However, although the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a high ability to remove konjac odor components and impurities, it requires new equipment for performing ultrasonic treatment. Such devices are usually expensive and require maintenance as they are precision instruments, making them difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to use. Additionally, as new processes such as soaking konjac flour in alcohol are added, the costs of those processes will be reflected in the product price, which could lead to a reduction in profits.

In addition, similar to Patent Document 1, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 is also considered to have a high ability to remove components of konjac odor, but it is necessary to separately prepare a device that generates supercritical carbon dioxide. Moreover, there is also the problem that it is difficult for small and medium-sized businesses to use it due to installation costs and maintenance management. In addition, there are many factors that increase production costs compared to conventional methods, such as adding new steps such as soaking konnyaku powder in alcohol and assuming 8 to 12 hours of soaking time in alcohol, making it less expensive. The inability to manufacture products at the same time is also considered to be an issue.

On the other hand, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3 only involves adding organic acid salts to raw materials, and can be said to be a method that anyone can easily use. However, by adding organic acid salts before adding an alkaline coagulant, the pH of the system will be different from that without addition, which may have a negative effect on the gelation of the raw materials, and the formulation and conditions etc. It may also be necessary to reconfigure the settings. As a result, it is thought that there is a possibility that it will not be possible to reproduce the familiar taste of conventional products.
Furthermore, the results of the sensory evaluation of odor show that although the addition of organic acid salts has an odor reduction effect, it has not resulted in a significant reduction, and it is thought that problems still remain.

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to easily produce konjac without making major changes to the conventional production method or adding new additives. To provide konnyaku with less konjac odor, a method for producing such konnyaku, and a production apparatus therefor.

The inventor of the present application has conducted extensive research to achieve the above objectives, and has found that even with a formulation containing less coagulant than conventional products, it can be manufactured without problems such as molding defects, and the odor of konjac is also significantly reduced. It was discovered that it is possible to obtain konjac.
That is, the first invention of the present application is a method for producing konnyaku containing konnyaku powder, water, starch, and an alkaline coagulant, which comprises dispersing konjac powder in water, and dispersing the starch and the alkaline coagulant. a step of obtaining a kneaded product with a pH adjusted to 7 to 9; a step of extruding the kneaded product with an extruder while heating and pressurizing it to obtain a molded product; and a step of cooling the molded product in air. It is characterized by having the following.

According to the first invention, konjac flour is first dispersed in water, and then starch and a predetermined amount of an alkaline coagulant are added and dispersed and mixed, thereby having the effect of integrating these plural raw materials. At this time, by adjusting the pH of the kneaded material to 7 to 9, the gelation reaction of the formed konnyaku will be difficult to proceed, and the degree of gelation will be lower than that of general konjac using a strongly alkaline formulation. . By putting this kneaded material into the extruder, the kneaded material also has the effect of being heated and compressed while being further stirred. In addition, the kneaded material also has the effect of being extruded as a molded body having the same cross-sectional shape as the discharge port of the extruder.
In addition, it is thought that the konjac of the present invention has the effect that the distance between the crosslinking points of mannan molecules is longer than that of a general konjac. It is thought that heating increases the mobility of molecules within the kneaded material.

On the other hand, the molded body extruded by the extruder has a low degree of gelation and low strength. For this reason, if heated and compressed raw materials such as components of konjac odor or water have vaporized, or if air is involved during kneading, these bubbles will expand due to the pressure release immediately after extrusion, and the molded product will It also has the effect of inflating it. Furthermore, it is thought that the molded product extruded from the extruder is cooled by contact with the outside air and immediately shrinks. In addition, this cooling has the effect of increasing the hardness of the molded body and promoting coagulation of the gelatinized starch.

Next, a second invention is characterized in that the method according to the first invention includes a step of shredding the molded body cooled in air to obtain granules.
According to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, there is an effect of shredding the continuously molded body into granules. Moreover, by making it into granules, there is also the effect of increasing the surface area of the molded product.

Further, a third invention is characterized in that in the first or second invention, the kneaded material is extruded by the extruder while being subjected to a pressure of 20 kgf/cm ² or more and heated to 80 to 120°C. .
According to the third invention, in addition to the effect of the first or second invention, in addition to the effect of applying a high pressure of 20 kgf/cm ² or more to the kneaded material, the kneaded material is It also has the effect of heating up to ℃.

A fourth invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third inventions, the temperature of the cooled molded body is below room temperature.
According to this fourth invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to third inventions, the hardness of konnyaku can be improved by cooling the molded product heated to 80 to 120°C and extruded to below room temperature. It has the effect of promoting the rise of starch and the coagulation of gelatinized starch. Note that normal temperature here refers to a temperature of 40° C. or lower and at a temperature at which the konjac does not freeze, and all normal temperatures described in the text refer to temperatures defined in this way. Further, various cooling methods can be considered, but for example, if air is blown onto the molded product, it also has the effect of removing low boiling point components, dust, etc. adhering to the molded product.

Next, a fifth invention is characterized in that it is a konnyaku manufactured by any one of the first to fourth inventions. According to the fifth invention, by producing konjac according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, it is possible to obtain konjac having a desired shape and low odor.
A sixth invention is an apparatus for producing konnyaku containing konjac flour, water, starch, and an alkali coagulant, which kneads konjac flour, water, starch, and an alkali coagulant. A mixer for obtaining a kneaded material, an extruder equipped with a heater for heating the kneaded material and extruding the kneaded material under pressure to produce a molded object, and a cooler for cooling the molded object formed by the extruder. It is characterized by having.

According to the sixth invention, the mixer has the function of kneading, dispersing, and integrating raw materials such as konjac flour. The extruder has the function of further kneading the kneaded material produced by the mixer, homogenizing the raw materials, and compressing the kneaded material while increasing the temperature thereof. Furthermore, the extruder has the function of extruding the gelled kneaded material from the discharge port as a molded article having a desired cross-sectional shape while applying pressure using heat from a heater.

Further, the cooler has the function of cooling the molded product extruded by the extruder, increasing the hardness of the konnyaku, and promoting coagulation of the gelatinized starch. Note that the cooler is not particularly limited, but may be one that rotates a fan to blow air onto the molded product, for example, or one that can blow temperature-controlled air onto the molded product like a cold air blower. It's okay. Furthermore, a cold room in which low-temperature air is held may be provided next to the extruder, and the molded article may be cooled by passing through the room.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the sixth aspect of the present invention, further comprising a pelletizer that shreds the molded body cooled by the cooler to produce granules.
In addition to the effect of the sixth invention, the seventh invention has the effect of converting the molded body continuously extruded in the extrusion direction into granules of a predetermined length. It also has the effect of increasing the surface area of the molded product by granulating it.

An eighth invention is characterized in that in the sixth or seventh invention, the extruder raises the temperature to 80 to 120° C. while applying a pressure of 20 kgf/cm ^{2 or} more to the kneaded material.
According to the eighth invention, in addition to the effects of the sixth or seventh invention, the extruder pressurizes the kneaded material by applying a pressure of 20 kgf/cm2 or ^more , and at the same time lowers the temperature of the kneaded material to 80 kgf/cm2 or more. It has the effect of heating up to ~120°C.

Finally, a ninth invention is characterized in that in any one of the sixth to eighth inventions, the cooler cools the temperature of the molded body to below room temperature.
According to the ninth invention, in addition to the effects of the sixth to eighth inventions, the cooler cools the molded product to room temperature or below in a short time, thereby preventing an increase in the hardness of the konnyaku and coagulation of the gelatinized starch. It has the effect of promoting. Although various cooling methods are possible, for example, if air is blown onto the molded product, it will also have the effect of removing low boiling point components, dust, etc. adhering to the molded product.

According to the first invention, the raw materials are kneaded in advance in a mixer or the like before being put into the extruder, and the obtained kneaded material is heated while being further stirred in the extruder, which has the effect of uniformly gelling the kneaded material. There is.
Furthermore, since the shape of the extruder's discharge port can be easily changed, there is also the effect that a molded article having a desired cross-sectional shape can be easily obtained. For example, if the discharge port is a pore, a noodle-like molded product can be obtained, and if the discharge port is slit-like, a sheet-like molded product can be obtained. This makes it possible to have variations in product shapes and expand the product lineup. In addition, after cutting the obtained molded product into an appropriate size, it can be further processed by pressing, etc. to produce products with shapes that are difficult to produce by extrusion molding (for example, disc-shaped sheets, etc.). It also becomes possible to manufacture

On the other hand, in a kneaded product with a low degree of gelation, the distance between the crosslinking points of mannan molecules is longer than in general konjac, and medium to low molecular weight substances such as components of konjac odor can easily penetrate into the crosslinked structure formed by mannan molecules. You can move to Therefore, there is an effect that components of konnyaku odor are easily released from the kneaded material. In particular, when the kneaded product is heated, the molecular mobility within the kneaded product increases, and there is also the effect that components of konnyaku odor and the like are easily released to the outside.
Furthermore, the low degree of gelation results in a molded article having low strength. For this reason, when the molded body comes out of the extruder, the air bubbles inside the molded body expand due to the pressure release, and at that time, the surface of the molded body is cracked, which is considered to have the effect that gas is more likely to be released from there.
From the above, it can be said that according to the first invention, it is possible to reduce the odor of konjac during the extrusion molding process using an extruder. Furthermore, if the food is heated during cooking, it may be possible to further reduce odor.

On the other hand, the molded product extruded from the extruder is in a soft and highly sticky state due to the low degree of gelation and gelatinization of starch. If such a molded body is cooled by contacting with the outside air, the hardness of the molded body will increase due to a decrease in molecular mobility, and the gelatinized starch will solidify, making it easier to process such as cutting. It also has the effect of becoming. In other words, by being able to process even flexible and highly adhesive molded bodies, it is thought that the degree of freedom in product development can be increased.

Furthermore, it is thought that the low degree of gelation makes it easier to release components of konjac odor from the inside, while also making it easier for substances to penetrate into the inside. In other words, if you use this type of konjac as an ingredient in stews, etc., it will absorb water and seasonings more easily than regular konjac, which will shorten the cooking time and make the konnyaku more flavorful. You can also expect
On the other hand, according to the second invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, since the surface area of the molded body increases, residual konjac odor components are easily released when heated for cooking, etc. This has the effect of further promoting low odor. In addition, since moisture and seasoning ingredients can more easily penetrate inside, further shortening of cooking time can be expected.

Further, according to the third invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the kneaded material is highly compressed to 20 kgf/cm2 or ^more , so that air bubbles such as components of konjac odor in the molded product are eliminated. , expands more during extrusion than when under low compression. For this reason, it is thought that there is also the effect that air bubbles break through the skin of the molded article and are more easily released to the outside than when the compression is low.
In addition, by uniformly heating the kneaded material to around 100°C by kneading with screws, the molecular mobility within the kneaded material is higher than when heating at a temperature below 80°C, and the konjac between mannan molecules is increased. This makes it easier for odor components to pass through. As a result, even during the extrusion process, components of konnyaku odor are easily volatilized from the kneaded material, and it is thought that the reduction in the odor of konjac is further promoted. In addition, by setting the temperature range, it is thought that there is also the effect of suppressing excessive vaporization of water, etc. in the kneaded material, improving molding stability, and suppressing poor curing of konnyaku.

Next, according to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to third inventions, by cooling the temperature of the extruded molded product to room temperature or lower, the hardness of konnyaku increases and the glue It is possible to further promote coagulation of starch. That is, even a molded body immediately after molding, which would conventionally be difficult to process such as cutting, can be processed quickly. This also shortens manufacturing time and leads to suppression of manufacturing costs.
In addition, if the cooling method is to blow air onto the molded object, it is possible to remove low-boiling components and dust attached to the molded object, thereby reducing the odor and cleaning the product at the same time as cooling the molded object. It also has the effect of increasing the

The fifth invention is that, by any one of the first to fourth inventions, it is possible to easily produce low-odor konnyaku in various shapes such as noodle-like, sheet-like, and granular forms, and to meet customer needs. This has the effect of making it easier to develop new products.

According to the sixth invention, by kneading raw materials such as konjac flour with a mixer, a kneaded material in which the raw materials are dispersed can be obtained. Then, the extruder applies pressure and uniform heat while further kneading the kneaded material, thereby making it possible to evenly and uniformly gel the kneaded material. Next, the extruder extrudes the gelled kneaded material from a discharge port of a desired shape while heating and pressurizing it, thereby making it possible to continuously produce a molded product as a product. In addition, if the raw material is designed to have a low degree of gelation, the use of the apparatus of the present invention also has the effect that components of konnyaku odor and the like are easily released from the kneaded product and the molded product. This point is as explained in the effect of the first invention.
Then, by cooling the molded body with a cooler, the molded body can be immediately processed such as cutting due to the increase in hardness due to the decrease in molecular mobility and the solidification of the gelatinized starch. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to manufacture konnyaku.

Next, in the seventh invention, in addition to the effect of the sixth invention, there is an effect that the molded body continuously extruded by the pelletizer is made into granules. Such granular konnyaku is suitable as a rice-like food. Furthermore, in addition to the low degree of gelation, the increased surface area due to granulation makes it easier for substances to enter and exit the molded body. For example, when cooking rice with rice, the odor of konjac can be further reduced during the cooking process, and the cooking time can be shortened as water quickly penetrates into the konjac. It is thought that there are some effects.

Further, according to the eighth invention, in addition to the effects of the sixth or seventh invention, the molded product is softer and more highly compressed than when the temperature is lower than 80°C and the compression is low. The bubbles expand greatly during extrusion. As a result, it is thought that these bubbles break the skin of the molded article, and the gas within the bubbles is more likely to be released to the outside. In addition, since the kneaded material is uniformly heated to around 100°C by screw kneading, the molecular mobility within the kneaded material is increased compared to when the temperature is below 80°C, and the konjac odor components are removed during the extrusion process. It evaporates easily from objects. In other words, it is thought that the reduction in odor of konjac is further promoted.

According to the ninth invention, in addition to the effects of the sixth to eighth inventions, the molded product is cooled to room temperature or below in a short time by a cooler and hardened, so that processing such as cutting, which is normally difficult, can be performed. Another advantage is that it can be carried out immediately after extrusion. This leads to a reduction in manufacturing time and also to a reduction in manufacturing costs. In addition, by using a fan that blows air onto the molded object as a cooler, it is possible to clean the molded object by removing low boiling point components, dust, etc. attached to the molded object while cooling the molded object. Another advantage is that hygiene control during manufacturing becomes easier.

1 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for producing low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a low-odor konjac manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an external photograph of a low-odor konnyaku granule according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an untreated sample, and (b) is a sample obtained by boiling the untreated sample with water. 1 is a cross-sectional electron micrograph of a low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an untreated sample, and (b) is a sample obtained by boiling the untreated sample with water. This is a cross-sectional electron micrograph of a typical konnyaku produced by a conventional production method. 1 is a gas chromatograph measurement result of low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an untreated sample, and (b) is a sample obtained by boiling the untreated sample with water. These are gas chromatograph measurement results of common konnyaku produced by a conventional production method.

First, a method for producing low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for producing low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the molded product extruded from the extruder is noodle-shaped, and after the cooling step, a shredding process using a pelletizer is added to turn the molded product into granules.

In order to produce low-odor konnyaku, step S1 is performed, which is a step of preparing a kneaded product, in which konnyaku powder is first dispersed in water, and then starch and an alkaline coagulant are added and kneaded. Here, the species and blending amount of each raw material can be set arbitrarily, but the alkaline coagulant must be added so that the pH of the kneaded product is 7 to 9. As will be described later, if the pH is outside the range of 7 to 9, gelation may progress too much and it may become difficult to remove the konnyaku odor from the kneaded product, or gelation may not occur. This is because you will not be able to achieve your purpose.

Next, in step S2, the kneaded material produced in step S1 is put into the extruder, so that the kneaded material is heated by a heater attached to the extruder, and is conveyed under pressure by the extrusion force accompanying the rotation of the screw.
Note that the heating temperature is preferably room temperature or higher, and particularly preferably 80 to 120°C. This is because if the temperature is higher than 120° C., the water contained in the kneaded material will evaporate rapidly, and there is a high possibility that the konnyaku pieces will be spewed out from the discharge port in the form of fragments along with water vapor. On the other hand, if the temperature is lower than 80° C., gelation will be insufficient, curing failure may occur, and the shape of the konjac may not be maintained.
Further, the pressurization is also preferably 20 kgf/cm ² or more. If the pressure is less than 20 kgf/cm ² , the air bubbles present in the kneaded material will be difficult to expand during extrusion, and the gas will be difficult to destroy the surface of the molded product and volatilize to the outside. In other words, it becomes difficult for the components of konjac odor to come out of the molded article.

Subsequently, in step S3, the molded body extruded from the extruder while being heated and pressurized is cooled. At this time, it is desirable to lower the temperature of the molded body as much as possible, and particularly preferably to below room temperature.
Then, in step S4, the molded body cooled in step S3 is processed with a pelletizer to cut the molded body into a desired length.

The method for producing low-odor konjac according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects. First, in step S1, the pH of the kneaded product is adjusted to 7 to 9, so that if such a kneaded product is gelled, the degree of gelation will be lower than that of general konjac. That is, the distance between the crosslinking points of mannan molecules in the kneaded product is longer than that in general konjac.
Further, step S2 has the effect of pressurizing the kneaded material at a high pressure of 20 kgf/cm ² or more and heating the kneaded material to 80 to 120° C. while being kneaded. The kneaded material is heated to gel, and also has the effect of increasing the mobility of molecules in the kneaded material.
Note that the molded body produced in step S2 has low strength because the degree of gelation is low. Therefore, if there are konjac odor components present as bubbles in the kneaded material, these components expand when the pressure is released immediately after extrusion, break the surface of the molded product, and volatilize to the outside.

Next, the molded product extruded into a noodle shape in step S3 is cooled by a cooler or the like, so that the molded product expands immediately after extrusion and then shrinks all at once. Cooling also has the effect of promoting an increase in the hardness of the molded body. Here, there are various cooling methods, and there are no particular limitations here, but for example, if it is a cooler that blows air onto the molded object, it will remove low boiling point components and dust attached to the molded object. It also has an effect.
Furthermore, in step S4, the pelletizer has the function of shredding the long noodle-shaped molded product extruded from the extruder into granules. Furthermore, processing the molded product into granules has the effect of increasing the surface area of the molded product.

Due to the above-mentioned effects, the method for producing low-odor konnyaku according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.
That is, in step S1, the raw material components are uniformly dispersed and the pH of the formed kneaded product is adjusted to 7 to 9, so that it is possible to form a gel with a long distance between crosslinking points during gelation. becomes. As a result, even if the kneaded product gels after step S2, medium to low molecular weight substances such as konjac odor components and water can easily move within the crosslinked structure formed by mannan molecules. Furthermore, such movement is further promoted by heating the kneaded material and increasing the mobility of molecules within the kneaded material.

Next, in step S2, the kneaded material is put into an extruder and heated while being stirred, so that the kneaded material is uniformly heated and becomes a homogeneous gel. At this time, since the distance between the crosslinking points of mannan molecules is longer than that of general konnyaku, medium to low molecular weight substances such as konjac odor components and water can easily move within the crosslinked structure formed by mannan molecules. It also has the effect of being easier to release from the kneaded material. This effect is further promoted when the kneaded material is heated as described above.

In addition, due to the low degree of gelation, the molded product has low strength, and the components that give off the konjac odor that exist as bubbles expand when the pressure is released during extrusion and break the surface of the molded product, making it easy for gas to be released from there. It also has the effect of becoming. In particular, since the kneaded material is highly compressed to 20 kgf/cm2 or ^more in the extruder, components of the konnyaku odor in the molded product expand significantly during extrusion compared to when it is compressed at a low level, making it easier for them to be released to the outside. Conceivable.

By uniformly heating the kneaded material to around 100°C by kneading with a screw, the molecular mobility becomes higher than when heating to a temperature below 80°C, and the konjac odor component is further transferred between mannan molecules. It becomes easier to slip through. Thereby, components of konnyaku odor can be easily volatilized to the outside from the kneaded material, and the heating in step S2 further promotes low odor of konjac. In addition, by setting the temperature range, there is also the effect of suppressing vaporization of water in the kneaded material, improving molding stability, and suppressing poor curing of konnyaku.

Further, the molded product extruded from the extruder is considered to be in a flexible and highly adhesive state. In step S3, by cooling such a molded body, the hardness of the molded body increases due to a decrease in molecular mobility, and the molded body is hardened by coagulation of gelatinized starch, and processing such as cutting is performed on the molded body. It also has the effect of making it easier. As a result, even a molded body that has just been molded can be processed quickly, leading to a reduction in manufacturing time and a reduction in manufacturing costs.
In addition, if the cooling method is to blow air onto the molded product, it is possible to remove low-boiling components and dust attached to the molded product, and as well as cooling the molded product, it also reduces the odor and purifies the product. There is also the effect that it can be achieved.

Then, in step S4, by increasing the surface area of the molded body, the components of the internal konnyaku odor are easily released when heated for cooking, etc., so that the odor reduction of konnyaku can be further promoted. has. In addition, the increased surface area makes it easier for moisture and seasoning ingredients to penetrate inside, so it can be expected to improve the quality of the food and further shorten the cooking time.

Next, an example of a low-odor konnyaku manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of a low-odor konnyaku manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, regarding the large number of discharge ports, molded bodies, and granules, if all of them are labeled, it will be difficult to see the diagram, so only one of them will be labeled. Note that the low-odor konnyaku manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus invention for effectively realizing the low-odor konnyaku manufacturing method described in FIG. 1.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the manufacturing device 1 includes a mixer 3 for kneading konjac flour, water, starch, and an alkaline coagulant to obtain a kneaded product 2, and a mixer 3 for kneading konjac flour, water, starch, and an alkaline coagulant to obtain a kneaded product 2, and a mixer 3 for heating and pressurizing the kneaded product 2 to form noodles. an extruder 5 for producing a shaped body 4; a cooler 6 equipped with a plurality of fans and blowing air from above the molded body 4 to cool the molded body 4; a conveyor 7 for conveying the molded body 4; It consists of a pelletizer 9 that shreds the molded body 4 cooled by the pelletizer 6 into granules 10. The kneaded material 2 obtained by the mixer 3 has a pH adjusted to 7 to 9 by adding an alkaline coagulant.

To explain this manufacturing apparatus 1 in detail, raw materials are kneaded by a mixer 3 to form a kneaded material 2 exhibiting low alkalinity, and then the kneaded material 2 is charged into a hopper 5a of an extruder 5. The kneaded material 2 is heated by a heater 5b installed in the extruder 5, and at the same time is subjected to an extrusion compressive force due to the rotation of a screw (not shown), and is discharged as a molded product 4 through a discharge port 5d formed in a perforated plate 5c. Extruded.

Here, the plurality of discharge ports 5d are arranged in a circular manner on the perforated plate 5c. The reason for this arrangement is that, as is well known, at the tip of the cylindrical barrel (not shown) inside the extruder 5, the amount of kneaded material 2 extruded per unit time is different from the central axis of the barrel. This is because it depends on the distance. That is, since the center of the circle formed by the plurality of discharge ports 5d is on the central axis of the barrel as shown in FIG. 2, the amount of extrusion from each discharge port 5d can be made to be approximately the same. In addition, when it is not necessary to equalize the extrusion amount from all the ejection ports, the arrangement of the ejection ports can be arbitrarily determined.
Further, the cross-sectional shape of the molded body 4 depends on the shape of the discharge port 5d formed in the perforated plate 5c. Here, the perforated plate 5c can be easily removed from the extruder , and if it is desired to change the cross-sectional shape of the molded body 4, it is sufficient to replace it with a perforated plate having a desired shape of discharge port.

Subsequently, the molded body 4 extruded from the extruder 5 is cooled by the cooler 6 to a temperature below room temperature while being conveyed by the conveyor 7. Here, the use of the conveyor 7 is optional, but it is desirable to use the conveyor 7 when the molded body 4 is a very soft material. This is because the molded product 4 is transported while being supported by the conveyor 7, so that the molded product 4 is prevented from hanging downward due to its own weight or the wind pressure from the cooler 6, and breakage of the molded product 4 can be prevented.
Furthermore, a pulley 8 attached to the rear end side of the conveyor 7 bundles a plurality of molded bodies 4 without dispersing them, and the molded bodies 4 are accurately fed into a material input port of a pelletizer 9 (not shown). Note that a tube may be used instead of the pulley 8, and the molded body 4 may be passed through the tube, but in order to pass a soft material, it is preferable to use an instrument like the pulley 8 that is less likely to get caught and has less resistance.
The molded body 4 fed into the pelletizer 9 is then shredded to produce granular bodies 10.

The effects of the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above are the same as those of the example of the method for manufacturing low-odor konjac according to the embodiment of the present invention described using FIG. Therefore, explanations regarding the effects of the manufacturing apparatus 1 will be omitted.
By using such a manufacturing apparatus 1, it becomes possible to easily manufacture low-odor konnyaku. Further, by replacing the perforated plates 5c of the extruder 5 with different openings 5d depending on the use and purpose, it is possible to easily produce low-odor konnyaku in various shapes.

Next, the characteristics of the low-odor konjac manufactured by the low-odor konnyaku manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, which were explained in FIGS. 1 and 2, will be explained in detail using FIGS. 3 to 7. explain.
FIG. 3 is a photograph of the external appearance of the low-odor konnyaku granules according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an untreated sample, and (b) is the untreated sample shown in (a). This is a sample obtained by boiling the treated sample with water. The low-odor konjac used in Figure 3 was manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3(b) shows the expected state when rice is mixed with low-odor konjac grains and cooked. This was done experimentally in order to achieve this, and was prepared by immersing an untreated sample in water and then boiling it at 100°C for 10 minutes.

From FIG. 3(a), the grains of low-odor konjac, which is an untreated sample obtained by shredding a noodle-like molded body, have an elliptical columnar cut surface. On the other hand, when the low-odor konjac grains are boiled in water, the volume increases by about twice as much, and the shape becomes rounded and rice-like, as shown in FIG. 3(b). This change is thought to be due to water penetrating into the low-odor konjac and causing it to swell during boiling, but in the case of ordinary konjac, the volume rarely increases to about double even when boiled. do not have.
As mentioned above, the reason for this swelling is that the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention has a low degree of gelation, and has a structure that easily absorbs water (i.e., the distance between crosslinking points). It is predicted that this is because a long structure) is formed within the konjac. By forming such a structure, it is thought that the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention also has the characteristic of easily releasing internal substances, but this point will be described later.

Next, the internal structure of the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention will be explained in detail using FIGS. 4 and 5.
FIG. 4 shows cross-sectional electron micrographs of low-odor konnyaku according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an untreated sample, and (b) is an untreated sample shown in (a). This is a sample that has been boiled with water. Note that the low-odor konnyaku used in FIG. 4 was manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 1. In addition, Figure 4(b) is an experiment conducted to predict the state when low-odor konjac grains are mixed with rice and cooked. It was prepared by boiling it for 10 minutes.

From FIG. 4(a), it can be confirmed that there are many bubbles with a diameter of less than 100 μm in the cross section of the untreated sample produced by extrusion molding. These bubbles are thought to be caused by the air involved when the raw materials were kneaded, and the raw materials formed during the process of being extruded by heating and pressurizing with the extruder (a component of konjac odor, water). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(b), in the cross section of the boiled sample, compared to Figure 4(a), bubbles with a diameter of about 10 μm exist in a dense manner, and there are also multiple bubbles with a diameter of 200 μm or more. It can be confirmed that it exists.

This change in the cross-sectional state caused by the boiling treatment is considered to be due to the low degree of gelation in the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention, as described above. In other words, because the degree of gelation is low, components of konnyaku odor in the untreated sample can easily move, resulting in the coalescence of the bubbles seen in Figure 4(a) and the newly vaporized konjac during boiling. It is thought that a phenomenon such as the formation of bubbles due to the aggregation of odor components, etc. is occurring.

Next, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional electron micrograph of a typical konnyaku manufactured by a conventional manufacturing method. Note that the general konnyaku shown here is not boiled.
As shown in FIG. 5, some bubbles can be seen in the cross section of a typical konjac, but the number of bubbles is smaller than in FIG. 4(a). This is thought to be because the mannan molecules rapidly gelled before the components of the konjac odor vaporized and formed bubbles, forming a gel with a short distance between crosslinking points.

In addition, the moisture content of this general konjac is about 10 wt%, similar to the low-odor konjac of the present invention, and the content of the component (trimethylamine) that gives off the odor of konjac is higher than that of the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention, as described later. I also confirmed that there are many. The reason why there are so few air bubbles in konjac is that, as mentioned above, the gel has a short distance between crosslinking points, which prevents components of konnyaku odor from easily moving inside the konjac. This confirms that That is, this is considered to be one of the reasons why it is difficult to reduce the konjac odor of common konnyaku.

Next, the results of odor evaluation performed on the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention will be explained using FIGS. 6 and 7.
FIG. 6 shows the results of gas chromatograph measurement of low-odor konjac according to the embodiment of the present invention, where the vertical axis shows the intensity and the horizontal axis shows the retention time. FIG. 6(a) shows an untreated sample, and FIG. 6(b) shows a sample obtained by boiling the untreated sample with water. The low-odor konnyaku used in FIG. 6 was manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 1. In addition, Figure 6(b) is an experiment conducted to predict the state when low-odor konjac grains are mixed with rice and cooked.The sample was immersed in water and then heated at 100℃ for 10 minutes. It was prepared by boiling for minutes. To prepare the evaluation sample, the sample was placed in a glass bottle with 2 ml of a 0.1 mol/l aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, sealed, and the glass bottle was heated at 60°C for one hour, after which the air around the sample was collected. The measurement conditions were a temperature increase rate of 1.5°C/sec and a measurement temperature range of 40 to 250°C.
On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows the results of gas chromatograph measurement of common konnyaku produced by the conventional production method. Note that measurements in FIG. 7 were also performed under the same conditions as in FIG. 6, and the results are also shown in the same format as in FIG. Note that in both FIGS. 6 and 7, an arrow is attached to the peak position of trimethylamine, which is a component of konnyaku odor, in the graph.

FIG. 6(a) shows the results for the untreated sample, and a peak exists at the arrow position on the graph, indicating the presence of trimethylamine. According to the quantitative analysis results, the amount of trimethylamine in the untreated sample was 2.1 mg per 100 g. On the other hand, although there is a trimethylamine peak at the arrow position in the general konnyaku in Figure 7, the peak intensity is about four times larger than that in Figure 6(a), and the amount of trimethylamine is 8.0 mg per 100 g. Ta.
In this way, the amount of trimethylamine stored in common konnyaku is thought to be extremely large, as it has a high amount of trimethylamine even though the degree of gelation is high and the konnyaku odor is difficult to release. .

On the other hand, in the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention, since the amount of alkaline coagulant is small, the amount of trimethylamine is also small. Furthermore, it was confirmed that almost no trimethylamine was detected when the sample was boiled (see FIG. 6(b)). This is because, as mentioned above, the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention has a low degree of gelation, so it is in an environment where the components of konnyaku odor can easily move, and heating also makes the movement more difficult. This is thought to be due to the konnyaku odor being evaporated due to increased activity.

As described above, the low-odor konnyaku of the present invention has a low degree of gelation, and has the effect that konjac odor components are released to the outside even when heated during cooking. As a result, it can be expected that the food will be almost odorless after cooking, and even those who have avoided eating it due to its odor will now be able to eat it without worrying about the odor. In addition, since the degree of gelation is low, the permeability of seasonings is high, and shapes other than granules can be easily imparted, making it applicable to a variety of dishes.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing low-odor konnyaku, a manufacturing device thereof, and a low-odor konnyaku manufactured by these manufacturing methods or manufacturing devices, and can be used as diet food and cooking ingredients.

1... Manufacturing equipment 2... Kneaded product 3... Mixer 4... Molded object 5... Extruder 5a... Hopper 5b... Heater 5c... Perforated plate 5d... Discharge port 6... Cooler 7... Conveyor 8... Pulley 9... Pelletizer 10... Granular material

Claims (6)

A method for producing low-odor konnyaku comprising konjac flour, water, starch, and an alkaline coagulant, the method comprising:
Dispersing the konjac flour in the water, adding the starch and the alkaline coagulant and kneading to obtain a kneaded product with a pH adjusted to 7 to 9;
A step of extruding the kneaded material using an extruder at a pressure of 20 kgf/cm ² or more and heating to 80 to 120° C. to obtain a molded product;
cooling the molded body in air;
A method for producing low-odor konjac, characterized by having the following. 2. The method for producing low-odor konjac according to claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining granules by shredding the molded body cooled in the air. 3. The method for producing low-odor konnyaku according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature of the cooled molded body is below room temperature. A low-odor konjac manufacturing device comprising konnyaku powder, water, starch, and an alkaline coagulant,
a mixer for kneading the raw material components to which the alkaline coagulant is added such that the pH of the kneaded product is 7 to 9 with respect to the konnyaku flour, the water, and the starch to obtain the kneaded product;
an extruder that is equipped with a heater that heats the kneaded material and extrudes the kneaded material at a pressure of 20 kgf/cm ² or more and heated to 80 to 120° C. to produce a molded body;
a cooler that cools the molded body formed by the extruder;
A low-odor konjac manufacturing device characterized by having the following. 5. The low-odor konjac manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a pelletizer that shreds the molded body cooled by the cooler to produce granules. 6. The low-odor konjac manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cooler cools the molded body to a temperature below room temperature.

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