TWI598046B - Granulated food product - Google Patents

Description

Granular food

The present invention relates to a granulated food product comprising plant material derived from aromatic plants, a meaty substrate and an osmotic pressure regulating agent, which simultaneously exhibits a true flavor and aroma of fresh plants and a strong meat flavor. The invention is also directed to a method of making a granular product.

Aromatic plants and herbs have been valued in food manufacturing for centuries due to their aroma and flavor. Since fresh herbaceous plants are seasonal and have a short shelf life, they are preserved by many methods. The most common methods of preservation generally involve removing moisture (drying) or concentrating the herbaceous solids to reduce the likelihood of microbial growth and spoilage. Other known methods for preserving herbs include salting or dipping in a saline solution. Drying can be achieved in a variety of ways, including solar or oven dehydration. Methods for reducing volatile herb flavor, aroma, and color loss during dehydration include alternative, more expensive drying methods (such as freeze drying and vacuum drying).

However, all such dehydration methods result in a decline in the quality of fresh herbs. In particular, the color, flavor, aroma and overall appearance of the herb are significantly impaired. In addition, it has long been recognized that dehydrated herbaceous plants undergo oxidation during storage to cause further discoloration (browning) and further loss or undesired changes in flavor, color and aroma. By using chemical antioxidants, the dehydrated herbaceous plants can be inhibited from oxidation during storage. However, the addition of such chemicals is generally undesirable and also adds unnecessary chemical taste to the food. Dehydration with hot air or by pickling destroys the fresh appearance of the herb, especially due to cell damage and enzymatic browning. This part can be explained by the decomposition of chlorophyll. Storage by air drying at elevated temperatures can also cause loss of many volatile flavor components and odors such as fish, hay and tea.

U.S. Patent No. 5,227,183 relates to the preservation of the flavor and aroma of aromatic plants while extending them to a useful shelf life in the product. It describes a method in which a humectant solution is used to kill green plants at a temperature not lower than 180 °C. Killing the cyanine will inactivate the enzyme such that the enzymatic reaction is prevented and the flavor compound does not decompose. However, the flavor produced without any enzymatic reaction exhibits a "dry" flavor that is less than the true fresh flavor released by fresh cut plants. While the products described in this patent maintain a long shelf life by inactivating the enzyme during the manufacturing process, they do not provide a fresh flavor as they are released from fresh plants.

U.S. Patent 5,227,183 also describes the use of osmotic regulators for forming amorphous films on plant tissues and particularly on oil sacs or glands of herbaceous plants. The membrane prevents compounds in the sac and glands from escaping into the surrounding atmosphere. The membrane may also limit the exposure of the compound to oxygen to reduce undesirable flavors caused by lipid oxidation. The use of osmotic regulators allows aromatic plants to maintain their color, flavor and aroma for a long time. However, the killings used in this method adversely affect the aroma and/or flavor of the plant material, and the overall freshness of the plant cannot be achieved.

Meat flavorings are commonly used in cooking products to provide meat and nutritious protein materials. Meat seasonings are usually prepared by extracting or dehydrating bones or meat from animals, poultry or seafood. For example, publications according to HUANG Hong-wei and QIU Yan-xiang ( Food Science and Technology No. 9. 2005, 91-93) disclose ultrafine steps including ultrafine grinding, enzymatic digestion, mayal reaction, and emulsification steps. Animal fresh bone meal. In another example, Chinese Patent Application No. 200710195750.9 discloses the preparation of a spicy meat seasoning by frying dry chili and pepper and then mixing it with the meat extract.

However, no known single product or method provides a composite botanical flavor or aroma that combines meat flavor. Such products also have to go through a long period of time to satisfy consumer demand for flavor compositions that are suitable for many cooking preparations in a convenient and efficient food form.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a granular food product that overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of one or more of the prior art products, or at least provides a useful alternative.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a granulated food product comprising a plant material, a succulent substrate and an osmotic pressure regulating agent from one or more aromatic plants, wherein the total content of the plant material and the succulent substrate in the product is dry matter 0.2 to 48% by weight, and wherein the product is in the form of particles having an average particle size of from 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm.

The total content of the plant material and the fleshy substrate in the product is preferably from 0.25 to 30% by weight of the dry matter, more preferably from 0.25 to 5%. Preferred particles have an average size ranging from 1.2 mm to 3.5 mm.

The plant material and the fleshy substrate in the product may have a weight ratio of the plant material to the fleshy substrate of 1:400 to 400:1, preferably 1:150 to 150:1 or 1:50 to 50:1 or 1:20 to 20: 1 is present (by weight of dry matter).

The plant material may be in the form of whole vegetables or fruits, or diced vegetables or fruits, or extracts of vegetables or fruits. Preferred vegetables are carrots, broccoli, broccoli, asparagus, squash, corn, leeks, beets, tomatoes, celery, ginger or mushrooms. The fruit is preferably mango, citrus, papaya, banana, lemon, lime, pineapple, apple and pear.

Preferably, the meaty substrate comprises a meat extract and/or a meat hydrolysate, a cysteine or a reducing sugar. The meat extract is preferably obtained from chicken, beef, seafood, lamb, pork or animal bones.

The osmotic pressure adjusting agent may be any suitable agent, but is preferably starch, maltodextrin, gum, wheat flour, rice flour, non-dairy creamer or sugar (such as maltose, sucrose, fructose, syrup or lactose).

Preferably, the product of the invention has a moisture content of no more than 10%.

In a second aspect of the invention, a method of preparing a granulated food product comprising the steps of:

a) grinding plant material from one or more aromatic plants with a fleshy substrate;

b) mixing the ground material obtained from step a) with an osmotic pressure adjusting agent at a temperature of -10 to 65 ° C to form a viscous mixture having a moisture content of up to 30% by weight;

c) granulating the viscous mixture to obtain granules;

d) Dry the granules to reduce the moisture content to 0.5 to 10% by weight.

The fleshy substrate is preferably obtained by hydrolyzing meat protein using protein hydrolysis, blending with reducing sugar, and heating at a temperature of 55 to 120 ° C for 10 to 120 minutes.

The granulation process is also preferably carried out by high shear granulation, fluidized bed granulation, extrusion-rounding granulation, spray drying granulation, tableting or rolling.

The present invention also provides a composition which can be used as an appetizer, a seasoning, a soup, a sauce or a gravy, comprising the granulated food of the present invention, and a finished or intermediate food or beverage product made using the granulated food of the present invention. .

The granulated food of the present invention includes plant material derived from aromatic plants, a meaty substrate, and an osmotic pressure regulating agent. The product is typically used as a perfume or flavoring in the preparation of a food or beverage for consumption. The product also has the true aroma and flavor of fresh plants and a strong meat flavor. In addition to being rich in nutrients, the product is provided in granular form, which is easily dissolved in rehydration and exhibits true, natural, fresh aroma and color characteristics and rich meat flavor, thus satisfying the needs of consumers. Granulating the product also extends the shelf life of the product. The invention also provides a method of preparing a granulated food product.

The term "aromatic plant" is used to denote plants of specialized tissues having aromas with a strong flavor and aroma, and includes herbs such as celery, mushrooms, alfalfa, basil, parsley, ginger and the like. Many of them are characterized by oil sacs or glands containing plant flavors and aromatic values. Aromatic plants usually contain enzyme-filled vacuoles. Once the plant cells rupture, the precursors are transformed into flavors and aromatic compounds typical of fresh-cut aromatic plants. The main value of aromatic plants (such as herbs) is their color, flavor and aroma. Preferred aromatic plants include vegetables (such as carrots, broccoli, broccoli, asparagus, squash, corn, leeks, beets, tomatoes, celery, ginger and mushrooms) and fruits (such as mango, citrus, papaya, banana, lemon, lime). , pineapple, apple and pear).

The term "meat base" means a seasoning having a rich meat flavor. The meaty substrate employed in the present invention preferably contains a meat extract and/or a meat hydrolysate, and a cysteine and a reducing sugar. Meat extracts can be prepared from chicken, beef, seafood, lamb or pork and animal bones. The reducing sugars are those having chemical reducibility and are preferably ribose, xylose, glucose, fructose or a mixture thereof.

The term "osmotic pressure regulating agent" means a compound which produces an osmotic pressure sufficient to transfer moisture from a plant cell to the outside and which imparts high viscosity to the product of the present invention. The osmotic pressure regulating agent can be dried on plant tissues, specifically oil sacs, glands and vacuoles of plant tissues, to form an amorphous or amorphous coating. The osmotic pressure adjusting agents used in the present invention are those commonly used in the food industry, and are preferably starch, maltodextrin, gum, wheat flour, rice flour, non-dairy creamer, sugar or a mixture thereof.

The granulated food of the present invention comprises from 0.2 to 48% by weight of the dry matter of the plant material and the succulent substrate from one or more aromatic plants. The rest is an osmotic pressure regulator. A preferred range is from 0.25 to 30%, and a more preferred range is from 0.25 to 5%.

The weight of the plant material and the fleshy substrate is preferably between 1:400 and 400:1. When the weight ratio is less than 1:400, the aromatic flavor of the granular food is often low. Conversely, when the weight ratio is greater than 400:1, the meat taste is often low. The weight of the plant material and the fleshy substrate is preferably from 1:150 to 150:1, more preferably from 1:50 to 50:1, and most preferably from 1:20 to 20:1.

The final product should have a moisture content of no more than 10%. In a very preferred embodiment, the product has a moisture content of from about 2% to about 5%. It has been found that a preferred encapsulation is formed at a water content of about 5% or less.

The purpose of the osmotic pressure regulator is to encapsulate the plant material and the succulent substrate. The term "encapsulated" means that the osmotic pressure regulating agent forms an amorphous coating that substantially covers the oil sac, gland, and vacuole of the plant material. Due to the damage to the plant material during the process of making the granules, it is impossible to encapsulate all tissues, oil sacs and glands. However, if sufficient plant tissue, oil sacs and glands are encapsulated, more unnecessary enzymes (especially peroxidase) will be retained in tissues, oil sacs and glands without causing plant material and meat quality. Poor degradation of the substrate. Therefore, it is preferred to encapsulate the product as completely as possible in comparison to fresh aromatic plants.

The peroxidase is a hydrogen peroxide-reductase, which is abundantly present in animal and plant tissues and has high activity. They catalyze the dehydrogenation (oxidation) of various substances in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Polyphenol oxidase is another enzyme found in animal and plant tissues. This enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of various phenolic compounds. Therefore, the stronger the activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase remaining in the plant material, the higher the overall freshness of the obtained aroma or flavor, similar to the freshly cut aromatic plants.

In the granulated food of the present invention, the oxidase is not inactivated, but is solidified in the plant so that the resulting true freshness is much higher than the conventional product in which the enzyme is not activated by, for example, killing the cyanine. When the granulated product of the present invention is rehydrated with water, the true aroma and flavor can be restored by the conversion of the flavor compound in the plant cells.

The product of the invention is present in granular form wherein the average particle size is from 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm in length or diameter. If the particle size is greater than 5.0 mm in length or diameter, the particles become brittle and can be easily broken or fragile during transport and/or storage. In addition, too large particles need to dissolve in water for a longer period of time. On the other hand, the particles should not be too small, preferably having a length or diameter of not less than 0.5 mm. Too small particles tend to agglomerate in water and it is difficult to completely dissolve in water even if stirred. In addition, the fine particles have strong hygroscopicity. Therefore, the powdery product absorbs moisture from the air and becomes hydrated, causing the product to deteriorate and the storage life to be shortened. Preferably, the particles of the invention have an average size of from 1.2 mm to 3.5 mm in length or diameter. Although not critical, products having a uniform particle size are preferred for optimum solubility and flow.

Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of preparing the above granular food, comprising the steps of:

a) grinding plant material from one or more aromatic plants with a fleshy substrate;

b) mixing the ground material obtained from step a) with an osmotic pressure adjusting agent at a temperature of -10 to 65 ° C to form a viscous mixture having a moisture content of up to 30% by weight;

c) granulating the viscous mixture to obtain granules;

d) Dry the granules to reduce the moisture content to 0.5 to 10% by weight.

Fresh aromatic plants are harvested and preferably refrigerated prior to treatment to prevent enzymatic degradation. The plant material is preferably cleaned and surface sterilized prior to the grinding step. This step removes dirt, debris and other organic matter that increases the microbial content of the herb. This cleaning involves spraying the plants with water, a water-detergent or a water-wetting agent mixture or immersing the plants or the like in water, a water-detergent or a water-wetting agent mixture. If detergent or other wetting agent is used, the plant should be rinsed to remove any residual detergent/wetting agent. Excess water should also be removed during the cleaning step. Surface disinfection is also carried out independently after the washing step.

Depending on the particular plant to be treated, the freshly harvested plants are pretreated by separating the leaves from the stem. The fresh plants are further cut into small pieces for grinding. This separation and/or dicing process can be accomplished by any suitable method known to those skilled in the art.

The fleshy substrate can be prepared according to the Mena reaction. Specifically, the method for preparing a meaty substrate comprises the steps of: washing and cutting or pulverizing fresh meat; adding protease to fresh meat in an amount of 0.1-0.5% by weight of fresh meat; heating the fresh meat to 45-55 ° C for 30 to 90 minutes. Hydrolyzing the enzyme; inactivating the protease by heating to 80-90 ° C for 2-5 minutes; cooling and filtering to obtain a filtrate; adding reducing sugar to the filtrate in the same amount as fresh meat; and reacting at a temperature of 55-120 ° C 10-120 minutes.

The washed and diced fresh aromatic plants and fleshy base are then ground. Any acceptable milling/grinding method known in the food industry can be employed. Since the plants are fresh and contain considerable moisture, it is preferred to use a wet or colloid mill. The colloid mill can reduce the particle size of the suspended solids in the liquid by applying hydraulic shear to the liquid to be treated. Excessive grinding time and/or shear should be avoided to limit the breakdown of plant cells.

Mixing of the ground aromatic plant and fleshy substrate with the osmotic regulator can be accomplished using any type of mixer known in the art. The osmotic pressure regulator used must dehydrate the plant material being processed and produce a high osmotic pressure. Preferred osmotic pressure adjusting agents are starch, maltodextrin, gum, wheat flour, rice flour, non-dairy creamer, sugars and mixtures thereof. The choice of osmotic pressure regulator is based in part on its cost and commercial availability. In addition, the osmotic pressure adjusting agent is usually a fine powder so that the fresh plant and fleshy substrate can be completely covered.

The duration of the mixing should be sufficient to obtain a uniformly dispersed mixture, and is preferably from 0.1 to 60 minutes. The obtained mixture is a viscous material which is then subjected to a granulation treatment.

The granulation method may be any one selected from the group consisting of screening, high shear granulation, fluidized bed granulation, extrusion-round granulation, spray drying granulation, tableting, and rolling. The granulation process produces granules having a length or diameter between 0.5 and 5 mm. As mentioned above, particles that are too large or too small are problematic.

The above method can be carried out at ambient temperature. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the temperature for milling, mixing and granulating is in the range of -10 to 65 ° C, preferably -5 to 60 ° C, more preferably -5 to 20 ° C. At high temperatures, the enzyme will deteriorate. Relatively low temperatures help to cure the enzyme, so it does not degrade the aromatic compounds in the plant.

Drying conditions are not critical, but the amount of water in the finished product must be reduced to form an amorphous film of the oil sac or gland of the encapsulated plant. The drying temperature can be varied within a suitable range. For example, if the drying temperature is relatively high, the drying time should be relatively shortened so that the temperature within the particles does not inactivate the enzyme. It has been found that an amorphous film is formed at a water content of about 5% or less. Excessive drying to below about 0.5% can impair flavor and cause tissue degradation. Conventional drying methods include air drying, air convection drying, fluidized bed drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, solar drying, and the like.

Although the process can be carried out in batch form, it is preferably carried out continuously to maximize production speed (as is common in production facilities). In treating freshly harvested plants, it should be understood that for each plant, each step of the method requires different specific processing parameters.

The microscopic and flavor profile of the finished product confirms that the product retains its unique fresh color and flavor. After rehydration, the color, flavor, aroma and overall appearance are similar to fresh cut plants. Sensory Evaluation Description The Judging Panel indicated that the products prepared according to the above method have the aroma of fresh plants and rich meat flavor.

This product is also suitable for other food applications that require fresh colors and flavors. That is, the granulated food of the present invention can be used to prepare an appetizer or a seasoning or soup composition, and a finished or intermediate food or beverage product.

As used in this specification, the terms "comprises", "comprising" and similar terms are not to be construed as exclusive or exhaustive. In other words, they are intended to mean "including, but not limited to".

Moreover, any reference to prior art documents in this specification is not intended to be an admission

Instance

The invention is further described with reference to the following examples. It is to be understood that the claimed invention is not intended to be limited in any way.

Example 1: Preparation of fleshy substrate

The washed fresh meat (for example, beef, chicken or pork) is crushed and the protease is added to the fresh meat in an amount of 0.2% by weight of the meat. The meat and protease were heated at 50 ° C for 60 minutes to allow enzymatic hydrolysis to take place. The mixture was then heated to 90 ° C for 5 minutes to inactivate the protease. After cooling and filtration, the resulting filtrate was mixed with fructose equal to fresh meat and kept at 80 ° C for 10 to 120 minutes.

Example 2

Fresh root leeks (9 kg) and beefy base (0.01 kg) were mixed and ground, and then mixed with starch (90 kg) and maltodextrin (65 kg) for 1 minute at 5 °C. The mixture was then granulated to a particle size of 2 mm and air dried at 105 ° C for 0.5 minutes using a fluid bed. The final product has a moisture content of 4.5%. The total amount of leek and fleshy substrate is 5.5% of the wet content, which is equivalent to 0.25 w/w% of the dry matter of the total final product. The finished product has a strong amaranth aroma and taste, as well as beef flavor. When rehydrated, the product exhibits the appearance of freshly cut leeks.

Example 3

Fresh washed pineapple (18 kg) and pork base (0.5 kg) were mixed and ground, and then mixed with starch (100 kg) and maltose (40 kg) at -2 °C for 1 minute. The mixture was granulated to a particle size of 1.0 mm and air dried at 110 ° C for 1 minute using a fluid bed. The final product has a moisture content of 1.5%. The total amount of pineapple and fleshy substrate is 11.6% of the wet content, which is equivalent to 1.5 w/w% of the dry matter of the total final product. The finished product has a strong pineapple aroma and taste and pork flavor. When rehydrated, the product exhibits the appearance of fresh pineapple.

Example 4

Fresh mushrooms (9 kg) and chicken flesh base (3 kg) were mixed and ground and then mixed with starch (75 kg) and maltodextrin (70 kg) for 2 minutes at 10 °C. The mixture was then granulated to a particle size of 3 mm and air dried at 65 ° C for 3 minutes using a fluid bed. The final product has a moisture content of 2.5%. The total amount of mushroom and meaty substrate is 3.9% of the wet component, which corresponds to 2.2 w/w% of the dry matter of the total final product. The finished product has a strong mushroom aroma and a chicken flavour. When rehydrated, the product reveals the appearance of fresh mushrooms.

Example 5

Mix and grind fresh carrots (0.5 kg), fresh tomatoes (0.5 kg) and beef base (8 kg) and then mix with starch (90 kg) and maltodextrin (65 kg) for 3 minutes at 20 °C . The mixture was then granulated to a particle size of 4 mm and air dried at 105 ° C for 60 seconds using a fluid bed. The final product has a moisture content of 2.5%. The total amount of carrot, tomato and fleshy substrate is 5.5% of the wet ingredient in the formulation, which corresponds to 4.8 w/w% of the dry matter of the total final product. The finished product has a strong aroma of carrots and tomatoes and has a beef flavor. When rehydrated, the product shows the appearance of carrots and tomatoes.

Example 6

Fresh apples (0.1 kg), fresh carrots (0.1 kg) and beef base (12 kg) were mixed and ground, and then mixed with starch (50 kg) and wheat flour (50 kg) at 10 ° C for 20 seconds. The mixture was then granulated to a particle size of 4 mm and dried using circulating air at 50 ° C for 1.5 minutes using a fluid bed. The final product has a moisture content of 2.5%. The total amount of apple, carrot and fleshy substrate was 11.4% of the wet ingredient in the formulation, which corresponds to 10.2 w/w% of the dry matter of the total final product. The finished product has a strong aroma of apple and carrot and has a beef flavor. When rehydrated, the product reveals the appearance of fresh apples and carrots.

It is to be understood that the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, where there is a known equivalent of a particular feature, such equivalents are included as specifically recited in this specification.

Claims (15)

A method of preparing a granular food product comprising a plant material, a fleshy substrate and an osmotic pressure regulating agent from one or more aromatic plants, wherein the total content of the plant material and the fleshy substrate in the product is from 0.2 to 48% by weight of the dry matter, and Wherein the product is in the form of a granule having an average size of the granules in the range of from 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm, the method comprising the steps of: a) grinding the plant material from one or more aromatic plants with the succulent substrate; b) obtaining from The ground material of step a) is mixed with an osmotic pressure adjusting agent at a temperature of -10 to 65 ° C to form a viscous mixture having a moisture content of up to 30% by weight; c) granulating the viscous mixture to obtain granules; and d) drying Granules to reduce the moisture content to 0.5 to 10% by weight; wherein the osmotic regulator is at least one of starch, maltodextrin, gum, wheat flour, rice flour, non-dairy creamer or a mixture thereof. The method of claim 1, wherein the meaty substrate is obtained by hydrolyzing the meat protein using a proteolytic method, blending with the reducing sugar, and heating at a temperature of 55 to 120 ° C for 10 to 120 minutes. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the granulation method is carried out by high shear granulation, fluidized bed granulation, extrusion-round granulation, spray drying granulation, tableting or rolling. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the total content of the plant material and the fleshy substrate in the product is from 0.25 to 30% by weight of the dry matter. The method of claim 4, wherein the plant material and the fleshy substrate are in the product The total content is from 0.25 to 5% by weight of the dry matter. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the average size of the particles is in the range of 1.2 mm to 3.5 mm. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the plant material and the fleshy substrate content in the product are present in a weight ratio of the plant material to the fleshy substrate in the range of 1:400 to 400:1 by weight of the dry matter. The method of claim 7, wherein the plant material and the fleshy substrate content in the product are present in a weight ratio of the plant material to the fleshy substrate in the range of from 1:150 to 150:1 by weight of the dry matter. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the plant material comprises whole vegetables or fruits, or diced vegetables or fruits, or extracts of vegetables or fruits. The method of claim 9, wherein the vegetables comprise at least one of the following: carrots, broccoli, broccoli, asparagus, squash, corn, leeks, beets, tomatoes, celery, ginger, and mushrooms. The method of claim 9, wherein the fruit comprises at least one of the following: mango, citrus, papaya, banana, lemon, lime, pineapple, apple, and pear. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the granulated food product has a moisture content of no more than 10%. A granulated food product obtained by the method of any one of claims 1 to 12. A use of the granulated food product of claim 13 for the preparation of an appetizer or seasoning or soup. A use of the granulated food product of claim 13 for the preparation of a finished food product or an intermediate food or beverage product.