WO2012026460A1

WO2012026460A1 - Method for manufacturing gelatinous food product

Info

Publication number: WO2012026460A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/068962
Authority: WO
Inventors: 奈良原由春; 山本昌志; 岸真理子
Original assignee: 株式会社明治
Priority date: 2010-08-24
Filing date: 2011-08-23
Publication date: 2012-03-01
Also published as: CN103079412A; HK1178392A1; JP6162953B2; CN103079412B; JPWO2012026460A1; SG187929A1

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a method for manufacturing a gelatinous food product, said method being capable of inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms in said gelatinous food product during a constant-temperature process. The present invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a gelatinous food product, said method being characterized by the adjustment of the water activity of a mix during a constant-temperature process performed at a temperature lower than a sterilization temperature and higher than a freezing temperature.

Description

Method for producing gel food

The present invention relates to a method for producing a gel food that can be sterilized effectively.

When manufacturing gelled foods such as pudding, mix raw materials such as dairy products, raw water, and gelling agents, and homogenize them while heating. Next, the mix is sterilized, filled in a container, cooled, and gelled by the action of a gelling agent, a thickener, and the like.

The sterilization of the mix is usually performed by heat treatment at a high temperature, and such heat treatment can kill Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and the like that are problematic in food hygiene. However, there is a high possibility that various bacteria (for example, highly heat-resistant spore bacteria) that may affect the quality of the product remain, and it has been difficult to perform complete sterilization.

In recent years, pudding may be produced using raw materials containing many bacteria that cannot be completely sterilized by a general heat treatment sterilization process. In the production of such pudding, the growth of bacteria with high heat resistance is suppressed. Methods to do so are being considered. For example, the vegetable pudding manufacturing method (patent document 1) which heat-sterilizes soil bacteria with a direct-heating sterilizer with a vacuum chamber, and the sterilization or bacteriostatic of spore bacteria in cocoa powder by using a specific emulsifier A method for producing cocoa purine (Patent Document 2) that enhances the properties, a method for producing chocolate pudding (Patent Document 3) that enhances the bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties of spore bacteria in chocolate by using a specific emulsifier It is being considered. However, all of them are not necessarily sufficient for the production of a gel food because a special apparatus is required or an emulsifier that affects the flavor of the final product needs to be added.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-166607 JP 2010-075158 A JP 2010-075159 A

In the production of gel food, the present inventors have a problem that the quality of the product does not become homogeneous due to the growth of spore bacteria, etc., despite the fact that it is a general production that contains almost no germs in the raw material. For example, in the production of gel foods on a commercial scale (large scale), in the process of filling the container with the heat-sterilized mix (preparation liquid), in order to continuously perform the work of filling the container from the large capacity tank, While maintaining for a long time at a high temperature that does not cause gelation or thickening, we faced the problem of allowing the growth of spore bacteria during this time and degrading the quality of the product.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned new problems and to provide a method capable of rationally suppressing the growth of various bacteria in the production process of gel food.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have maintained a high temperature state for a long time during the production of gelled food, particularly in a tank that does not cause gelation or thickening during repeated research. In the constant temperature process, we focused on the relationship between the water activity of the mix and the growth of various bacteria, and found that by controlling the water activity of the mix in this constant temperature process to a predetermined value, we could suppress the growth of various bacteria, and further research As a result, the present invention has been completed.

That is, this invention relates to the manufacturing method of the following gel food.
[1]
(1) Preparation process for preparing a mix,
(2) A heat sterilization step for heat sterilizing the mix following the preparation step,
(3) Following the heat sterilization step, a constant temperature step of maintaining the mix at a temperature lower than the sterilization temperature and higher than the coagulation temperature;
It is a manufacturing method of the gel-like foodstuff containing, Comprising: The said manufacturing method including adjusting the water activity of the mix in the said constant temperature process.

[2] The production method according to [1], wherein the water activity is adjusted by mixing the mix in the preparation step.
[3] The production method according to [1] or [2], wherein the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature step is adjusted to 0.90 to 0.98.

[4] The production method according to any one of [1] to [3], further including a heat sterilization step of treating at a temperature of 95 ° C. or higher before the constant temperature step.
[5] The production method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the temperature in the constant temperature step is 40 to 65 ° C.

[6] The production method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the mix contains chickenpox, and the water activity of the mix is adjusted by adjusting the content of chickenpox.
[7] The production method according to [6], wherein the mix contains 3 to 10% by weight of starch syrup.
[8] The production method according to [6] or [7], wherein the weight ratio between the syrup and raw material water in the mix is 0.035: 1 to 0.15: 1.

[9] The production method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the mix contains sugar, and the water activity of the mix is adjusted by adjusting the sugar content.
[10] The production method according to [9], wherein the mix contains 8 to 15% by weight of sugar.
[11] The production method according to [9] or [10], wherein the weight ratio of sugar to raw material water in the mix is 0.1: 1 to 0.25: 1.

[12] The production method according to any one of [1] to [11], wherein the gel food is a raw confectionery.
[13] The production method according to any one of [1] to [12], wherein the gel food contains raw materials derived from eggs and / or milk.
[14] The production method according to [13], wherein the gel food is pudding or milk pudding.

[15] The production method according to any one of [1] to [14], wherein the water activity of the mix is adjusted to suppress bacterial growth in the constant temperature process.
[16] The production method according to [16], wherein the bacterium is a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus.

According to the present invention, in the method for producing gelled foods such as pudding, by adjusting the water activity, it is possible to proliferate germs in the production stage, particularly spore bacteria resistant to high temperature conditions, without impairing the flavor of the raw material. Can be suppressed. In other words, by controlling the water activity in the middle of the production of food, which has not been studied at all, it was possible to suppress the growth of bacteria such as spore bacteria, so the water activity in the final product stage was controlled. There is no need to do. In order to reduce the water activity at the final product stage to the extent of suppressing the growth of bacteria, the final product may lose its flavor and texture (texture). Control the growth of bacteria in the middle of food production without worrying about the water activity in the food, that is, from the viewpoint of flavor and texture, while maintaining the freedom to make the water activity of the final product a desired value As a result, deterioration of flavor and quality can be prevented or suppressed. In the present invention, no special equipment is required.

In addition, when filling a container from a large-capacity tank or when it takes a long time to prepare the container, a relatively long-time constant temperature process is required. , 75-95 ° C.), the flavor may be significantly deteriorated. On the other hand, if kept at a low temperature (for example, 5-10 ° C.), the mix contains a gelling agent and a thickener. Gelation (coagulation) and thickening occur at the stage, and it is necessary to heat again in order to fill the container with the mix. This can also cause the deterioration of the flavor. According to this, gelled foods such as pudding can be continuously produced without causing such sterilization problems and flavor deterioration problems. Furthermore, when an emulsifier is used (for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3), it is necessary to add the emulsifier at a concentration that suppresses the growth of heat-resistant bacteria, and this affects the flavor of the final product. According to the invention, such an emulsifier is not required, and the final product can be finished to a desired flavor.

The method for producing a gel food according to the present invention is characterized in that the water activity in the constant temperature process is adjusted in the conventional gel food production process. That is, after preparing a mix according to a conventional method, this is heat sterilized, the temperature is lowered as necessary, and the container is filled and cooled, and gelled or thickened to produce a gel food. Where, after the heat sterilization and before filling the container, work to maintain a constant temperature cooled to a temperature lower than the sterilization temperature and higher than the solidification temperature, store in a surge tank, etc., and fill the container In the process (constant temperature process) to prepare for, the water activity of the mix in storage is adjusted.
In addition, you may perform the operation | work which adjusts the water activity of this mix in any process (stage) of a preparation process, a heat sterilization process, and a constant temperature process.
The constant temperature process can take a long time depending on the size (capacity) of the tank actually used and the timing (required time) for preparing the container for filling the product. Further, in the case of about 3 to 18 hours, particularly about 4 to 15 hours, the necessity for adjusting the water activity becomes high.

In the present invention, the “gel food” means a food that has been gelled and solidified by the action of a gelling agent. For example, raw confectionery such as pudding, mousse, bavaroa, jelly, apricot tofu, and water gourd, , Etc. Fresh confectionery is defined in the sanitary norms of Western confectionery and Japanese confectionery as follows: “It contains 40% or more of water immediately after it is finished (however, it is finished in the case of using ann, cream, jam, agar or similar). Immediately after, containing 30% or more of water.) ”), The gel food according to the present invention includes these.

In the present invention, “mix” means a mixture of raw materials. The raw materials actually used are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used for foods. For example, dairy products, eggs, sugars, raw water, and the like can be used as main raw materials.
In the present invention, the “preparation step” is a step of preparing (mixing) a mix by selecting and adjusting the type and blending amount of raw materials.

In the present invention, the water activity is preferably 0.98 or less from the viewpoint of suppression of bacterial growth. Further, from the viewpoint of maintaining the texture of the gel food, it is desirable that the water activity is 0.90 or more, preferably 0.95 or more, more preferably 0.97 or more. The water activity in the constant temperature process can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, in the mix preparation process, the water activity of the mix may be adjusted. For example, the type, blending amount, and water content of the mix are adjusted. By doing so, it is possible to adjust the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature process.

In the constant temperature process, the water activity of the mix may be adjusted, for example, after heat sterilization, adjusting the amount of water in the mix by dilution / concentration with water, and separately sterilized raw materials and It is also possible to adjust the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature process by adding the same type or different types.

Dairy products include cow's milk, whole fat concentrated milk, whole milk powder, skimmed milk, skimmed milk powder, skim milk powder, butter, cheese, fresh cream, unsweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed milk, butter oil, butter milk, butter milk powder, Whey, whey powder, milk protein concentrate (MPC), whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), etc. are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in foods. Or in combination of two or more. The amount of the dairy product added is determined in consideration of the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature process and the desired flavor, texture (texture), physical properties, quality, etc. in the actually produced gelled food.

Eggs may be either yolk or egg white, or whole eggs. For example, you may use the raw material processed into shapes, such as a liquid egg and powder. The amount of eggs added is determined in consideration of the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature process and the desired flavor, texture (texture), physical properties, quality, etc. in the gel food actually produced.

The sugar is not particularly limited, and for example, sugar (sucrose), honey, maple syrup, starch syrup, liquid sugar, glucose, hydrated crystalline glucose, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol, palatinose, etc. These are not particularly limited, and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. From the viewpoint of reducing water activity, it is preferable to use glucose and / or starch syrup, and it is more preferable to use starch syrup since water activity is reduced and at the same time an appropriate sweetness is given.

The amount of saccharide added is determined in consideration of the desired sweetness in the actually produced gelled food and the influence on the water activity of the mix. For example, when varicella is used, 3% of the total amount of the mix is used. -10% by weight, preferably 3-8% by weight, more preferably 4-6% by weight. At this time, it is desirable to use syrup and liquid sugar together. When liquid sugar is used, it is 9 to 18% by weight, preferably 10 to 15% by weight, more preferably 11%, based on the total amount of the mix. ~ 13% by weight. On the other hand, similarly to chickenpox, for example, when sugar is used, it is 8 to 15% by weight, preferably 9 to 13% by weight, more preferably 10 to 11% by weight, based on the total amount of the mix. .

In addition, from the viewpoint of the flavor and texture of the gel food actually produced, the concentration of the raw water in the mix is 20 to 35% by weight with respect to the total amount of the mix, and the gel food is derived from eggs. In the case of a pudding containing raw materials, it is preferably 23 to 33% by weight, more preferably 25 to 31% by weight, and the gel-like food contains milk pudding or chocolate pudding that does not contain egg-derived raw materials. In such a case, it is preferably 20 to 30% by weight, more preferably 21 to 25% by weight. The weight ratio of the water tank to the raw water in the mix is 0.035: 1 to 0.15: 1, preferably 0.04: 1 to 0.1: 1, more preferably 0. .05: 1 to 0.8: 1. On the other hand, the weight ratio of sugar to raw water in the mix is 0.1: 1 to 0.25: 1, preferably 0.1: 1 to 0.2: 1, more preferably 0. .1: 1 to 0.15: 1.

The other raw materials may include any component that can be used in foods. For example, flavors, seasonings, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers, colorants, and the like can be used. And it is effective to apply this invention in the gel food using the raw material with which heat-resistant bacteria mix. On the other hand, it is suitable to use the present invention in pudding and milk pudding having a high proportion of eggs and dairy products in the mix.

In the present invention, “heat sterilization temperature” means a temperature sufficient to kill general bacteria other than heat-resistant bacteria, and varies depending on the sterilization method. From the viewpoint of maintaining the flavor and the effect of sterilization, a continuous sterilization method is often employed, and it is preferable to treat at a sterilization temperature of 120 ° C or higher and 150 ° C or lower, more preferably 125 ° C or higher and 145 ° C or lower. 130 degreeC or more and 140 degrees C or less are more preferable. At this time, the sterilization time is preferably 1 second to 5 seconds, more preferably 1 second to 4 seconds, and further preferably 1 second to 3 seconds. A batch-type sterilization method may be employed, and the treatment is preferably performed at a sterilization temperature of 90 ° C. or more and less than 100 ° C., more preferably 93 ° C. or more and 97 ° C. or less, and further preferably about 95 ° C. At this time, the sterilization time is preferably 1 minute or more and 10 minutes or less, more preferably 2 minutes or more and 7 minutes or less, and further preferably about 5 minutes.
In the present invention, the sterilization treatment method is not particularly limited, but a low temperature and long time sterilization method (LTLT method: 61.7 ° C. to 65 ° C., 30 minutes or more), a high temperature short time sterilization method (HTST method: 72 ° C. to 75 ° C., UHT method is preferable from the viewpoints of maintaining the flavor and sterilizing effect, etc., including a high temperature sterilization method (UHT method: 120 ° C. to 150 ° C., 1 second to 5 seconds or less).

In the present invention, “miscellaneous bacteria” means microorganisms that are unintentionally mixed from raw materials such as filamentous fungi, yeasts, bacteria, and the like, in particular, microorganisms that are present in the mix in the constant temperature process. Among such microorganisms, particularly problematic are bacteria that may not be killed by sterilization treatment, and examples include spore bacteria, and more specifically, Bacillus bacteria.
In the present invention, “coagulation temperature” means the temperature at which the mix is gelled (solidified) or thickened by the action of the gelling agent or thickener, and the type and blending ratio of the gelling agent or thickener. Typically, the temperature is about 0 ° C. to 25 ° C.

The gelling agent or thickener used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a gelling agent or thickener of the type that dissolves in a mix and gels or solidifies by cooling. For example, agar, gelatin, gellan gum Xanthan gum, locust bin gum, guar gum, pectin, tamarind gum, carob bean gum, carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and the like.
At this time, for example, in the case where the gel food is a pudding containing an egg-derived raw material, since a smooth texture is generally preferred, it is preferable to use carrageenan and locust bin gum in combination. When the food is milk pudding or chocolate pudding that does not contain egg-derived raw materials, it is generally preferred to use agar and gelatin in combination, because a crispy texture is generally preferred.
The type and addition amount of the gelling agent are determined in consideration of the desired texture in the actually produced gelled food and the characteristics of each gelling agent. It is 0.2 to 1% by weight, preferably 0.3 to 0.9% by weight, and more preferably 0.4 to 0.8% by weight.

In the present invention, the “constant temperature step” means a step of holding the mix at a constant temperature or a temperature that can be varied within a manufacturing acceptable range. This time, the temperature is lower than the sterilization temperature and higher than the coagulation temperature. The temperature of the constant temperature process depends on the sterilization temperature actually used and the coagulation temperature at which gelation occurs, but from the viewpoint of preventing thickening of the mix (increased viscosity) and preventing deterioration of flavor, etc. 65 ° C., preferably 45 to 60 ° C., more preferably 50 to 55 ° C. In addition, the time of the constant temperature process is a time required until the entire amount of the mix in the tank is filled into the container, and may be appropriately changed depending on the size of the tank, the time required for preparing the container, etc. 1-6 hours. In addition, there is a possibility that the quality of the product may be significantly deteriorated due to the growth of spore bacteria or the like when the constant temperature process is performed for 2 hours or more, further 3 hours or more, particularly 4 hours or more.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described based on examples. However, the examples are examples of the present invention and do not limit the present invention.

According to the composition (weight ratio) described in Table 1, skim milk powder (Meiji Dairies), fresh cream (Meiji Dairies), starch syrup (composition: glucose 8% by weight, maltose 48% by weight, maltotriose 16% by weight, others (28% by weight) (Meiji Food Materia Co., Ltd.) and raw water were mixed to prepare a mix.

Table 2 shows the results obtained by measuring the water activity of the obtained mix using a water activity measuring device EZ-100ST (Freund Sangyo Co., Ltd.).
After inoculating the mix with Bacillus stearothermophilus, a flat sour-type spoilage bacterium that forms thermostable aerobic bacteria with thermophilic aerobic bacteria, at 95 ° C for 5 minutes And sterilized. Table 2 shows the results of counting the thermophilic bacteria after culturing the sterilized mix at 60 ° C. for 8 hours.

From the above results, it was found that by setting the water activity of the mix to 0.98 or less, the growth of spore-forming bacteria having high heat resistance can be suppressed in a long-time constant temperature process.

7% skim milk powder, 6.5% fresh cream, and 100% total amount of raw water, and the addition amount of various sugars that makes the water activity of the mix 0.98 or less (necessary for growth inhibition of thermophilic bacteria Addition amount) was found. In addition, in the case of an aqueous solution (1% by weight) of sugar (sucrose), the sweetness level is set to “1”, a score is relatively given, and the results of evaluation of each sweetness level are shown in Table 3.
As a control, the water activity and sweetness of the mix using a normal amount of sugar (6.2%) were also evaluated.

The amount of addition differs depending on the type of saccharide, and the saccharide that was effective with the smallest addition amount was glucose. Moreover, maltose varicella was the saccharide that gave the most preferable sweetness when the addition amount of saccharide necessary for inhibiting the growth of thermophilic bacteria was added.

Table 4 shows examples of pudding blending. As a gelling agent, for example, when a gel-like food is a pudding containing raw materials derived from eggs, a smooth texture is generally preferred, so carrageenan and locust bin gum are used in combination. When the gel-like food is milk pudding or chocolate pudding that does not contain egg-derived raw materials, a crisp and crispy texture is generally preferred, so agar and gelatin are used in combination. Other raw materials include fat sources, protein sources, carbohydrate sources, and the like in addition to flavors.

According to the method of the present invention, in addition to suppressing the growth of microorganisms that are not killed by a normal sterilization treatment, it is possible to produce a gel food having a desired texture without impairing the flavor of raw materials.

Claims

(1) Preparation process for preparing a mix,
(2) A heat sterilization step for heat sterilizing the mix following the preparation step,
(3) Following the heat sterilization step, a constant temperature step for maintaining the mix at a temperature lower than the sterilization temperature and higher than the coagulation temperature;
It is a manufacturing method of the gel-like foodstuff containing, Comprising: The said manufacturing method including adjusting the water activity of the mix in the said constant temperature process.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the water activity is adjusted by mixing the mix in the preparation step.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water activity of the mix in the constant temperature process is adjusted to 0.90 to 0.98.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a heat sterilization step of treating at a temperature of 95 ° C or higher before the constant temperature step.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature in the constant temperature step is 40 to 65 ° C.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mix contains chickenpox, and the water activity of the mix is adjusted by adjusting the content of chickenpox.
The method according to claim 6, wherein the mix contains 3 to 10% by weight of chickenpox.
The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the weight ratio of the water tank and the raw water in the mix is 0.035: 1 to 0.15: 1.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mix contains sugar, and the water activity of the mix is adjusted by adjusting the sugar content.
The method according to claim 9, wherein the mix contains 8-15% by weight of sugar.
The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the weight ratio of sugar to raw water in the mix is 0.1: 1 to 0.25: 1.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the gel food is a raw confectionery.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the gel food contains raw materials derived from eggs and / or milk.
The method according to claim 13, wherein the gel food is pudding or milk pudding.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the growth of microorganisms in the constant temperature step is suppressed by adjusting the water activity of the mix.
The method according to claim 15, wherein the microorganism is a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus.