TW201822648A - Edible bird's nest and treatment method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of treating edible bird's nest for use in preparing bird's nest soup comprising the steps of removing solid impurities from a bird's nest matrix; mobilising glycoprotein within the bird's nest matrix; removing microbial contamination in the bird's nest; and freeze-drying the bird's nest to remove moisture while retaining pores within the bird's nest.

Description

Edible bird's nest and its processing method

The present invention relates to edible bird's nest (EBN). More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for pretreating raw edible bird's nest and clean, cooked and dried edible bird's nest prepared therefrom, wherein the dried edible bird's nest has more mobilized glycoprotein and saliva. Acid and water absorption.

Edible bird's nest is derived from the bird's nest of the golden bird, especially the Javadrama Fusiphagus . During the breeding season, after being activated by reproductive hormones, the golden bird will secrete bird's nest mud from its pair of sublingual glands to build Bird's nest. Edible bird's nest is considered nutritious, and it contains active substances that may have anti-cancer, anti-aging and immune-enhancing functions. Therefore, due to its nutritional value and rarity, edible bird's nest is particularly considered as a precious food in Chinese culture.

Bird's nest usually has the shape of a shallow cup and is composed of interwoven filaments of bird's nest mud secretions. Raw bird's nests can be collected from caves or golden bird's nests. However, the bird's nest is a better source of choice because it promotes the sustainability of the bird's nest habitat and bird's nest supply. Raw bird's nest usually contains a large amount of solid impurities, microbial contamination, and nitrite and nitrate content. Therefore, it is common practice in the industry to pre-process raw bird's nests before selling them to consumers.

Commercially processed raw bird's nests are dried and washed to reduce microbial or other contamination. However, such bird's nests are usually treated with bleach and other chemicals to give them a beautiful appearance. Chemical treatment changes the properties of bird's nest, reducing its nutritional value and natural aroma. Nonetheless, raw bird's nests, whether cooked or unwashed, require long soaking and boiling to dissolve glycoproteins or release their active compound, sialic acid. It is also difficult to control the cooking time of bird's nest. Excessive cooking of bird's nest can cause loss of nutritional value, or the body cannot digest and absorb it due to undissolved glycoproteins.

In order to solve the inconvenience of cooking raw bird's nests, instant bird's nests, which are convenient bird's nests packed in bottles, have been developed. Edible additives can be added to enhance the taste experience of consumers. The method for preparing instant bird's nest is to mix the washed bird's nest, water and additives in a glass container, and then heat it to be sterile and cooked. In order to extend the life of the product, the addition of preservatives is inevitable. Since the product is in liquid form in a glass container, how to handle it can be a problem. Consumers also cannot customize the flavor of instant bird's nest according to their preferences.

Another type of instant bird's nest is invented, in which the bird's nest is in a dry form, and it can be eaten after adding boiling water for 10-30 minutes, which is called instant bird's nest. Chinese patent (CN 102715507) discloses a method for preparing instant bird's nest. The steps of the method include soaking clean raw bird's nest in water to soften and swell; stewing the expanded bird's nest; cooling the cooked bird's nest to shape; and freeze-drying the shaped bird's nest. Although the supply time is fast, the bird's nest of this product is crushed in order to increase the surface area for water absorption. Because stewing has degraded or dissolved most of the nutrients into the water, the nutritional value of this bird's nest is low.

In order to overcome these shortcomings, it is necessary to develop an improved method for processing raw bird's nest, and provide an edible bird's nest with a high content of soluble glycoprotein, which has a retained natural bird's nest aroma, a customizable flavor, and can be used in a short time Within supply. The present invention provides a solution to these problems.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an improved method for preparing a pre-processed raw edible bird's nest for cooking and drying the edible bird's nest. The edible bird's nest can be eaten immediately as a snack or softened in water and eaten in a short time.

Another object of the present invention is to prepare a dry edible bird's nest with an increased amount of glycoprotein and / or sialic acid and other nutrients, so that the bird's nest can be easily absorbed by the digestive system after consumption.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the water absorption capacity of dried edible bird's nest, so that the bird's nest can be softened in water in a relatively short time.

Another object of the present invention is to maintain the natural aroma of the bird's nest even after washing and processing the bird's nest.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dry edible bird's nest which can be formed into various shapes and sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dry edible bird's nest with a customizable flavor by adding edible additives.

In order to achieve one or part or all of the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention describe a method for processing edible bird's nest for preparing bird's nest, the steps of which include: removing solid impurities in the bird's nest matrix; Remove microbial contamination in bird's nest; and freeze-dry bird's nest to remove moisture while retaining micropores in bird's nest.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the bird's nest is immersed in water, the solid impurities are removed at the same time. Preferably, the bird's nest is immersed in water for 3-24 hours to expand the bird's nest matrix to 5-20 times the original size. Preferably, the bird's nest is soaked at 1-20 ° C.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the glycoprotein is driven by heating and freezing the bird's nest multiple cycles.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bird's nest is autoclaved / cooked to remove microbial contamination.

Preferably, one or more food additives are incorporated into the bird's nest matrix. The additive may be selected from the group consisting of red dates, agarwood, longan, cordyceps, lemongrass, ginseng, collagen, and tissue extracts.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a dry edible bird's nest prepared by the method described in any one of the foregoing.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a combination of novel features and all the following descriptions and parts specifically pointed out in the appended claims; it should be understood that those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various details Modify or retouch, but without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any advantages of the invention.

The present invention relates to edible bird's nest (EBN). More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for pretreating raw edible bird's nest and clean, cooked and dried edible bird's nest prepared therefrom, wherein the dried edible bird's nest has more driving glycoprotein, sialic acid and water absorption. ability.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the present invention and with reference to the accompanying description. However, it should be understood that the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is limited only to facilitate the discussion of the present invention, and it is foreseeable that those skilled in the art can design various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

The invention discloses a method for processing edible bird's nest for preparing bird's nest, which comprises the steps of: removing solid impurities in the bird's nest matrix; driving glycoproteins in the bird's nest matrix; removing microbial contamination in the bird's nest; and freeze-drying the bird's nest to remove water, At the same time keep the micropores in the bird's nest.

As used herein, the terms "edible bird's nest" or "bird's nest" refer to the bird's nest of the golden bird, especially the Javan bird, whether it is alive or cooked, clean or dirty, and dry or moist. As used herein, the term "raw bird's nest" refers to raw and unprocessed bird's nests collected from a cave, a bird's nest, or any place where it can be collected. Preferably, raw bird's nests are collected from the bird's house, because they have lower pollutants and are easier to control than caves. In one embodiment of the invention, the entire raw bird's nest is processed. However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, only the filamentous area of the raw bird's nest is used and treated so that the treated bird's nest has a uniform and homogeneous appearance and texture. Since the filamentous area usually contains the least amount of contamination, it is also advantageous to use only this area.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, solid impurities have been removed from the bird's nest matrix, so the raw bird's nest is first soaked and swelled. Immerse the raw bird's nest in excess water to soften and expand the volume. Preferably, the immersion temperature of the raw bird's nest is 1 ° C-20 ° C, more preferably 2 ° C-4 ° C. Soaking at a lower temperature can deactivate microorganisms, thereby minimizing the reproduction of microorganisms and preventing further bird contamination from microbial contamination. The bird's nest can be soaked for 3-72 hours, preferably 12 hours. Normally, a soaked bird's nest can swell to 5-20 times its original size. Normally, but not always, 10 times the swelling size can be achieved after 12 hours of soaking. Prolonged soaking is not recommended because it may make the bird's nest too soft to handle, cook and shape, and may affect the quality of the bird's nest.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of incorporating an edible additive into the soaked bird's nest. The additives may be selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, extracts of plants and animals such as jujube, agarwood, longan, ginseng, cordyceps, ginger, lemongrass, collagen and animal tissues, or combinations thereof. Other additives that improve the flavor and color of bird's nest can also be used. Additives are added during soaking. Due to the swelling of the bird's nest due to the absorption of water, particles of additives are incorporated into the matrix of the bird's nest. The amount of additives incorporated into the bird's nest matrix is determined by the concentration of the additives in the immersion water.

As described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the soaking water can be changed multiple times throughout the soaking period. The nitrite / nitrate particles are dissolved into the soaking water by diffusion, so the nitrite / nitrate content of the bird's nest will be reduced or removed. It is preferred to replace the soaking water at least twice to reduce the nitrite / nitrate content to a safe level. In the case where additives are added to the soaking water, the additives may only be added to the last changed soaking water, as the diffusion of nitrite / nitrate particles may be affected by the incorporation of the additives and may also minimize the waste of additives Into.

After soaking, the swallowed bird's nest is removed from the soaked water and the solid impurities are removed. Preferably, the solid impurities are removed by a manual picking method without using chemicals, and possible changes in the physicochemical properties of the bird's nest can be eliminated. Alternatively, other methods of removing solid impurities from the bird's nest, such as ultrasonic treatment, may be used. However, it is not recommended to further immerse the bird's nest in the chemical liquid to remove solid impurities, because the previously incorporated additives may be dissolved out and the physicochemical properties of the bird's nest may be changed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the washed bird's nest is subjected to multiple cycles of heating-freezing. The washed bird's nest is first heated with steam for 10-120 minutes, and then frozen at -5 ° C to -80 ° C, more preferably at -10 ° C to -30 ° C for 12 hours. Multiple cycles of heating and freezing are performed to release and loosen the glycoprotein and / or sialic acid and other nutrients in the bird's nest. Glycoproteins and / or sialic acids are driven in situ and dissolve in the water of the bird's nest without dissolving out of the matrix of the bird's nest. Therefore, in order to prevent the dissolution of glycoprotein and / or sialic acid and additives, it is not recommended to heat the bird's nest by boiling or any heat treatment method that requires the bird's nest to be immersed in water. Overheating should also be prevented to avoid degradation of glycoproteins and / or sialic acids. The heating-freezing cycle is carefully controlled to prevent loss of driven glycoprotein and / or sialic acid.

It is important to drive glycoproteins and / or sialic acids in bird's nest. These two ingredients are generally considered to be nutritional functional or active compounds. These two components are usually bound to the bird's nest matrix and are not easily soluble in water, although a small portion of them occur naturally in a driven form. By driving these two and other active ingredients, they become easily soluble in water and therefore easily digested by consumers.

In addition, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, food additives may be incorporated during the heating-freezing process. A solution of the additive was added to the bird's nest, followed by heating to concentrate the amount of the additive. It should be noted that food additives may be incorporated in the soaking and / or heating-freezing steps.

After heating-freezing, the bird's nest can be considered a cooked bird's nest. Although there may be microbial contamination, a large amount of water remains in the matrix of the cooked bird's nest. The contained water contains dissolved glycoprotein, sialic acid and additives. The cooked bird's nest is autoclaved to remove microbial contamination. Preferably, the cooked bird's nest is autoclaved at 95 ° C-110 ° C for 20-60 minutes.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an autoclaved bird's nest containing a large amount of water with dissolved glycoproteins and additives is freeze-dried to remove water, while retaining micropores in the bird's nest. Preferably, the bird's nest is freeze-dried on a mold. Depending on the desired configuration of the lyophilized bird's nest product, the mold can have various shapes and sizes. However, as long as the shape of the bird's nest can be maintained after freeze-drying, the use of a mold is not required. The formed autoclaved bird's nest is first frozen to a fixed shape, size and weight, and then freeze-dried to remove moisture from the bird's nest. When water is removed, glycoproteins and additives remain in the matrix of the bird's nest. In particular, glycoproteins exist in a driven form, so that when bird's nest is eaten, it can be easily absorbed by the human digestive system. Freeze-drying also gives dry bird's nests high porosity and therefore high water absorption.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the bird's nest soup only needs to be prepared by softening the dried bird's nest (hereinafter referred to as treated bird's nest) in sufficient water, especially boiling water, for 5-30 minutes. The treated bird's nest is easy to soften because it contains a lot of micropores, so it has high water absorption capacity. Additional food additives such as, but not limited to, sugar, salt, milk, and honey can be added to the pre-incorporated additives. The softness of bird's nest can be controlled by controlling the soaking time in hot water, so as to provide consumers with different mouthfeel. In addition, bird's nest can also be eaten as a snack in dry form. The processed bird's nest manufactured by the above method can maintain the natural aroma of the bird's nest, and is generally considered to be a white egg white flavor.

A further embodiment of the present invention is a dry edible bird's nest prepared by the method described in any one of the foregoing. The dry bird's nest has high porosity, which makes the dry bird's nest have high water absorption capacity. Preferably, the pore size of the edible bird's nest is 10-300 μm. Dried bird's nest also contains large amounts of kinesin and sialic acid. Therefore, when consumed, glycoproteins and other nutrients are easily absorbed by the natural body. Depending on the desired configuration of the product, the dried bird's nest can have various shapes and sizes. The shape may be selected from, but not limited to, cup-shaped, sheet-shaped, heart-shaped, round, square, and zigzag.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the dried bird's nest can contain particles of food additives in the matrix of the bird's nest. The additive may be selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, extracts of plants and animals such as red dates, agarwood, longan, ginseng, cordyceps, ginger, lemongrass, collagen and animal tissues.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is by way of illustration and example, and not by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by those defined in the appended patent application scope. Example Example 1

The edible bird's nest produced by any of the methods described above was tested for porosity, nutritional content, and microbial contamination.

Bird's nests have an average pore size of 10-300 µm and have irregular pore sizes and shapes. The pore size of the bird's nest can be measured with a microscope or a scanning electron microscope.

In order to measure the amount of easily soluble (driven) glycoprotein and / or sialic acid, the bird's nest was immersed in hot water for 10 minutes. Bird's nest contains an average of 250-1250 mg of driven sialic acid and / or glycoprotein per kilogram, accounting for 15% of bird's nest.

In terms of microbial contamination, the number of pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus is within the safety level required by the Malaysian standard MS2334: 2011, as shown in Table 1. Table 1

Table 2 shows the microbiological and heavy metal content test results of bird's nest. Table 2

Table 3 shows the nutritional content of bird's nest. table 3 Comparative example

Commercially available dry bird's nests were obtained from Johor and Kelantan. Commercially available dried bird's nests show almost negligible micropores.

Table 4 shows the average driven sialic acid content of commercially available dried bird's nests. Generally speaking, the driving sialic acid content is 68.92mg / kg-165.57mg / kg, accounting for about 9% of the bird's nest. Table 4

Claims (13)

A method for processing edible bird's nest for preparing bird's nest, comprising the steps of: removing various solid impurities in a bird's nest matrix; driving a glycoprotein in the bird's nest matrix; removing a microbial contamination in the bird's nest; and freeze-drying the bird's nest To remove moisture while retaining the micropores in the bird's nest. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the bird's nest is immersed in water, the solid impurities are simultaneously removed. The method according to claim 2, wherein the bird's nest is immersed in water for 3-24 hours to expand the bird's nest matrix to 5-20 times the original size. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the bird's nest is soaked at 1-20 ° C. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the glycoprotein is driven by multiple cycles of heating and freezing the bird's nest. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bird's nest is removed from the microbial contamination by autoclaving. The method of any preceding claim, wherein one or more food additives are incorporated into the bird's nest matrix. The method according to claim 4, wherein the additive is an extract of jujube, agarwood, longan, cordyceps, lemongrass, ginseng, collagen and tissue. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the autoclaved bird's nest is frozen on a mold. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid impurities are removed by hand picking. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a filamentary area of the raw bird's nest is used. A dry edible bird's nest prepared according to the method of any preceding claim. An edible bird's nest comprising 250-1250 mg of driven sialic acid and / or glycoprotein per kilogram of the bird's nest.