WO2016031953A1

WO2016031953A1 - Cheese sauce and method for producing same

Info

Publication number: WO2016031953A1
Application number: PCT/JP2015/074358
Authority: WO
Inventors: 清之介浅野; 真樹高石; 裕美森川
Original assignee: 株式会社明治
Priority date: 2014-08-29
Filing date: 2015-08-28
Publication date: 2016-03-03
Also published as: JP6674894B2; JPWO2016031953A1; CN106604643A; TW201620388A

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a cheese sauce exhibiting improved cheese flavor and mouthfeel, and exhibiting improved emulsion stability and operation properties such as spreadability and squeezing ease; and a method for producing the same. This cheese sauce at least contains: a cheese ingredient; one or more emulsifiers selected from a group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0-2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15-20; and water.

Description

Cheese sauce and method for producing the same

The present invention relates to a cheese sauce and a method for producing the same, and more particularly relates to a cheese sauce having fluidity, easy spreadability (spreadability) and having a good cheese flavor, and a method for producing the same.

Cheese is a food that is rich in milk-derived protein and calcium and is excellent in nutrition. In particular, it is effective for nutritional supplementation for growing children and calcium supplementation for women and elderly people who are concerned about osteoporosis. In cheese, raw milk is solidified and whey is eliminated, natural cheese aged as needed, natural cheese as raw material, process cheese, natural cheese and process that are melted and emulsified by adding water and molten salt Foods and food additives are added to cheese, and cheeses are roughly classified into cheese foods obtained by melting and emulsifying raw materials containing 51% by mass or more of cheese.

On the other hand, semi-solid cheese such as cheese sauce (cheese spread) is expected to be widely used for seasoning various dishes, soaking vegetables and fruits, and kneading into confectionery and bread dough. The In addition to flavor and texture, cheese sauce is a major factor in determining the product value because of its good work characteristics such as spreadability and ease of squeezing.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a cheese spread prepared using non-aged fresh cheese and ripened natural cheese as raw material cheese components and having a maturity index of 15 to 22%.

Japanese Patent No. 3004911

However, Patent Document 1 has difficulty in providing a cheese sauce that satisfies both sensory characteristics such as flavor and texture, work characteristics such as spreadability and ease of squeezing, and emulsion stability at the same time. .

Moreover, in order to improve the characteristic characteristic calculated | required by these cheese sauce, various techniques can be considered, for example, in order to soften cheese sauce, (1) raise water content, (2) molten salt Methods such as suppressing the creaming action and (3) using raw cheese with high maturity can be generally employed.
However, in the method (1), since the ratio of the raw material cheese is relatively lowered, the flavor of the cheese is weakened, and the value of the product may be reduced. In the methods (2) and (3), However, the emulsified state may become unstable, facilitating the separation of fat, and there are problems such as impairing the production of stable products.

In view of the above, the present invention is a cheese-containing food mainly made of cheese, has fluidity, improves work characteristics such as spreadability and ease of squeezing, and emulsion stability, and It aims at providing the cheese sauce which can improve the flavor and food texture of cheese, and its manufacturing method.

As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have solved the above problems by using at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of lipophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 0 to 2 and hydrophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 15 to 20. The inventors have found that this can be solved, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is achieved by the following (1) to (9).
(1) A cheese sauce containing at least one raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water.
(2) The cheese sauce according to (1), wherein the moisture content of the cheese sauce is 40 to 56% by mass.
(3) The cheese sauce according to (1) or (2), wherein the hardness at 10 ° C. is 0.01 to 500 g, or the viscosity at 10 ° C. is 0.01 to 750 Pa · s.
(4) The cheese sauce according to any one of the above (1) to (3), wherein the mass ratio of water-soluble nitrogen as a maturity index and total nitrogen is 16 to 40% in the total amount of raw cheese.
(5) A mixing step of mixing at least one raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water. And a heating and emulsifying step of heating and emulsifying the obtained mixture.
(6) The method for producing a cheese sauce according to (5), including a step of adjusting the pH of the mixture after the heating emulsification step to 5 to 6.
(7) The cheese sauce according to (5) or (6), wherein in the mixing step, at least one molten salt selected from the group consisting of monosodium monophosphate, disodium monophosphate, and trisodium monophosphate is added. Manufacturing method.
(8) The method for producing a cheese sauce according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the moisture content of the cheese sauce is 40 to 56 mass% with respect to the total amount of the cheese sauce to be produced.
(9) The cheese sauce according to any one of the above (5) to (8), wherein the mass ratio of water-soluble nitrogen as a maturity index and total nitrogen is 16 to 40% in the total amount of raw cheese Production method.

Since the cheese sauce of the present invention has a desired fluidity that has not existed before, it is possible to improve work characteristics such as spreadability and ease of squeezing, and at the same time, it is possible to improve emulsion stability. Furthermore, since the cheese sauce of this invention can suppress moisture content, the ratio of raw material cheese increases relatively and it becomes possible to improve the flavor and food texture of cheese markedly.

FIG. 1 (a) is a photographic drawing showing a state after cheese sauces 1 to 6 filled in a sealed container are immersed and held in hot water, and FIG. 1 (b) is a schematic diagram of FIG. 1 (a). It is. FIG. 2 (a) is a photographic drawing showing the state after the cheese sauces 7 to 11 filled in a sealed container are immersed and held in hot water, and FIG. 2 (b) is a schematic diagram of FIG. 2 (a). It is. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the fluidity of cheese sauces 14-17. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a change in the viscosity of the cheese sauce accompanying a change in pH. FIG. 5 is an observation photograph of the cheese sauce 19 and the comparative process cheese by a confocal laser microscope. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the viscosity and hardness of cheese sauce. FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes in viscosity accompanying changes in the homogenization pressure of cheese sauce. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the mass ratio of PTA soluble nitrogen (PTA) and total nitrogen (total N) in cheese sauce 21 and comparative cheese sauces 1 and 2.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.
In the present specification, the percentage or part represented by “mass” is synonymous with the percentage or part represented by “weight”.

The cheese sauce of the present invention contains at least raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of lipophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 0 to 2 and hydrophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water. is there.

In the present invention, “cheese sauce” is a cheese-containing food having fluidity at 0 to 80 ° C. The phrase “having fluidity at 0 to 80 ° C.” means that the fluidity is maintained without solidifying. As an indicator of the fluidity of such cheese sauce, the viscosity at 80 ° C. is 0 to 750 Pa · s. It is preferable that Moreover, it is preferable that the hardness in 10 degreeC is 500 g or less. Instead of evaluating the fluidity at 0 to 80 ° C. as described above, the viscosity at 10 ° C., the viscosity at 80 ° C. or the hardness at 10 ° C. can be adopted, but the viscosity and the hardness are correlated with each other, The viscosity at 80 ° C. is also correlated with the hardness at 10 ° C., which is consistent with the appearance fluidity of cheese sauce at 0-80 ° C.
In addition, the cheese sauce of the present invention is a cheese-containing food mainly made of cheese, and the cheese sauce is classified as a processed cheese defined in “Ministerial Ordinance on Component Standards of Milk and Dairy Products” (Ministerial Ordinance on Milk, etc.). Is done.
The “main raw material” means a raw material present in the highest ratio among all raw materials, and the raw material cheese preferably occupies 60% by mass or more, more preferably 62% by mass or more, with respect to the total amount of cheese sauce. 63 mass% or more is more preferable.

The raw material cheese used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but preferably contains at least one selected from the group consisting of super hard cheese (special hard cheese), hard cheese and semi-hard cheese. The classification of the cheese is specified by the moisture content [%] (MFFB) in the cheese weight other than fat in the international standard for cheese (CODEX STAN A-6-1978, Rev. 1-1999, Amended 2003). Has been.
Super hard cheese refers to a MFFB of less than 51%, and examples include parmesan cheese and grana cheese.
Hard cheese refers to MFFB of about 49 to 56%, and examples include Gouda cheese, Edam cheese, Emmental cheese, and cheddar cheese.
Semi-hard cheese refers to those having an MFFB of about 54 to 69%, and examples thereof include Paul Dusartu, Saint Pauline, Brick cheese, Roquefort cheese, Samso cheese, Maribo cheese and the like.
Remade cheese can also be used. Reproduced cheese refers to natural cheese that has already been processed into cheese.

From the viewpoint of improving work characteristics, flavor, and texture, the raw material cheese used in the present invention is water-soluble nitrogen (water-soluble N) that is a maturity index (maturity (%)) in the total amount of raw material cheese. And the mass ratio of total nitrogen (total N) (water-soluble N / total N (%)) is preferably 16 to 40%, more preferably 25 to 36%, and 27 to 33% Is more preferable. When the maturity (water-soluble N / total N) in the total amount of the raw cheese is 16% or more, the viscosity and hardness of the cheese sauce can be reduced, and fluidity can be imparted to the cheese sauce. When there exists, since the strong flavor of cheese with a good balance can be obtained, it is preferable.
In the present specification, water-soluble nitrogen is nitrogen contained in a peptide or amino acid having a molecular weight of 5,000 Da or less, which is produced by degradation of a protein by an enzyme during aging. These contents increase with progress of ripening in raw material cheese.

The mass ratio of water-soluble nitrogen (water-soluble N) and total nitrogen (total N) in the total amount of raw cheese can be calculated by the following calculation method.
Maturity (%) = water-soluble N / total N (%) = water-soluble nitrogen content / total nitrogen content × 100

Moreover, total nitrogen content and water-soluble nitrogen content can be measured with the following method.
[Total nitrogen content]
Measured by Kjeldahl method.
[Water-soluble nitrogen content]
(1) To 5 g of the sample (cheese), add 0.05 M sodium citrate dihydrate solution heated to about 50 ° C. in 60 ml, and homogenize using a rotary homogenizer at 8000 rpm for about 3 minutes. To do.
(2) Wash the homogenizer with distilled water to 100 g.
(3) While stirring with a stirrer, adjust the pH to 4.40 ± 0.05 with a 6N hydrochloric acid solution.
(4) Toyo Filter Paper No. Filter with 5A, take 2 ml of the filtrate and quantify nitrogen by Kjeldahl method. This obtained value is the water-soluble nitrogen content per gram of cheese.

The blending amount of the raw material cheese is 60% by mass or more, preferably 65 to 77% by mass, more preferably 70 to 75% by mass with respect to the total amount of the cheese sauce. By containing 60% by mass or more of raw material cheese, a strong flavor of cheese can be obtained. Moreover, when raw material cheese is mix | blended at 77 mass% or less, since it becomes easy to adjust a cheese sauce to low viscosity, the cheese sauce which is fluid and excellent in the working characteristic can be obtained.

The emulsifier used in the present invention is at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of lipophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 0 to 2 and hydrophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 15 to 20 (hereinafter referred to as “specific emulsifier of the present invention”). Say).
A lipophilic emulsifier with an HLB of 0 to 2 is coordinated with fat so as to cover the periphery of the hydrophobic casein protein, and has the effect of stabilizing the fat and suppressing the increase in viscosity due to protein protection. Guessed. In addition, hydrophilic emulsifiers with HLB of 15-20 inhibit the contact with other complexes by covering the surface of the complex consisting of fat and the amphiphilic casein protein that covers the surface with the emulsifier. Thus, it is presumed that the emulsion stability is improved and the effect of suppressing the increase in viscosity is brought about.

The emulsifier is not particularly limited as long as it satisfies the above HLB regulations, and conventionally known emulsifiers can be used. Examples of the emulsifier include glycerin fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, propylene glycol fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester and the like. Among them, a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 or a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20 Should be selected. An emulsifier may be used individually by 1 type and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.
Examples of the lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 include “Sugar Ester S-270” (trade name, HLB = 2) and “Sugar Ester S-170” (trade name, HLB = 1), “Sugar Ester S-070” (trade name, HLB <1), “Sunsoft 818R” (trade name, HLB <1) manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., and the like.
Examples of hydrophilic emulsifiers having an HLB of 15 to 20 include “Sugar Ester P-1570” (trade name, HLB = 15) and “Sugar Ester P-1670” (trade name, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.). HLB = 16), “Sugar ester S1670” (trade name, HLB = 16), “Monoester P” (trade name, HLB = 19), and the like.

The blending amount of at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20 is relative to the raw material cheese from the viewpoint of product viscosity and emulsion stability. The content is preferably 0.15 to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 0.8% by mass, and still more preferably 0.25 to 0.6% by mass.

The specific emulsifier of the present invention is preferably blended so as to be 0.05 to 0.8% by mass, more preferably 0.05 to 0.4% by mass, based on the total amount of cheese sauce. More preferably, the content is from 05 to 0.2% by mass. By adjusting the blending amount of the specific emulsifier of the present invention to be 0.05% by mass or more in the cheese sauce, the emulsion stability during the production of the cheese sauce is improved, and the increase in the viscosity and hardness of the product is suppressed. By adjusting to 0.8 mass% or less, the emulsion stability at the time of manufacture of a cheese sauce can be improved, and the raise of the viscosity and hardness of a product can be suppressed.

Water is formulated to bring the cheese sauce to the desired viscosity and hardness. If water can be mix | blended with a foodstuff, it will not specifically limit, For example, distilled water, deionized water, tap water, tap water etc. are mentioned.
The water is preferably blended so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce to be produced is 40 to 56% by mass, more preferably 42 to 54% by mass, and still more preferably 44 to 50% by mass. It is preferable to adjust the blending amount. As described above, since moisture is contained in the raw cheese, the moisture content with respect to the total amount of the cheese sauce including the moisture in the raw cheese is set in the above range. Since the ratio of the raw material cheese in a cheese sauce can be made high if the moisture content of a cheese sauce is the said range, the flavor of cheese can be improved. The blending amount of water is preferably about 16 to 26% by mass, for example, and may be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the moisture content of the raw cheese.

In addition, the moisture content of cheese sauce can be measured by the following mixed sand method.
[Moisture content]
(1) An aluminum weighing dish containing 15 to 20 g of silica sand and a small glass rod is dried for 1 hour in a hot air circulating drier set at 102 ° C., and then allowed to cool in a desiccator for about 30 minutes.
(2) After weighing the weighing pan with a precision balance, weigh a sample of 1.5 to 2.0 g precisely.
(3) Stir gently with a glass rod while heating on a hot plate.
(4) When the silica sand becomes smooth after drying, the weighing dish is dried for 2 hours in a hot air circulation dryer set at 102 ° C. and then allowed to cool in a desiccator for about 30 minutes.
(5) Weigh with a precision balance and obtain moisture [%] from the following formula.
Moisture [%] = (sample mass-mass after drying) ÷ sample mass x 100

Cheese sauce is usually filled in tube containers, dressing containers, bottles, etc., and stored in a refrigerator or the like when not in use. And when using it, it takes out from a refrigerator compartment and moves out from a filling container, but when the tube container is filled, for example, a squeezing operation is required. From the viewpoint of the workability of squeezing out cheese sauce stored at a low temperature around 2 to 10 ° C., the cheese sauce of the present invention preferably has a hardness at 10 ° C. of 0.01 g to 500 g, and 0.01 g to 400 g is more preferable, 0.01 g to 300 g is further preferable, and 0.01 g to 100 g is still more preferable. If the hardness of the cheese sauce at 10 ° C. is in the above range, it has the desired fluidity and can improve work characteristics represented by sprayability and ease of squeezing.

In the present invention, the cheese sauce only needs to have a desired fluidity at 0 to 80 ° C. The fluidity can be measured with a viscometer (for example, “Viscotester VT-04F” manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.), and is preferably 0.01 to 750 Pa · s, more preferably 0.01 to 650 Pa · s at 10 ° C. More preferably, the pressure is 0.01 to 550 Pa · s.

In the present invention, the viscosity of the cheese sauce at 80 ° C. is preferably 0.01 to 100 Pa · s, more preferably 0.01 to 30 Pa · s, and more preferably 0.01 to 10 Pa · s. More preferably. Further, the viscosity at 10 ° C. of the cheese sauce is preferably 0.01 to 750 Pa · s, more preferably 0.01 to 650 Pa · s, and further preferably 0.01 to 550 Pa · s. . When the viscosity at 80 ° C. and the viscosity at 10 ° C. of the cheese sauce are in the above ranges, desired fluidity can be obtained, and work characteristics typified by spreadability and ease of squeezing can be improved.

The pH of the cheese sauce contributes to the viscosity and hardness of the cheese sauce actually produced, the emulsion stability during production, and the microbiological storage stability. As the pH adjuster used in the cheese sauce of the present invention, a pH adjuster used in general process cheese production such as lactic acid or sodium carbonate can be used.
The pH adjuster is blended so that the cheese sauce actually produced has a pH of preferably 5 to 6, more preferably 5.2 to 5.8, and even more preferably 5.3 to 5.8. Is preferably adjusted. If the pH of the cheese sauce is in the above range, it is possible to achieve an effect that the viscosity is low, the workability is high, and the emulsion stability is excellent.

The cheese sauce of the present invention comprises at least one raw cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water, and if necessary Thus, it can be produced through a mixing step of mixing a molten salt to obtain a mixture and a heating emulsification step of heating and emulsifying the obtained mixture.
A mixing process and a heat emulsification process can be implemented using the well-known apparatus which heat-melts raw material cheese and emulsifies. Examples of such an apparatus include a kettle type cheese emulsifying pot, a horizontal cooker, a high-speed shearing emulsifying pot, and a continuous heat exchanger (shock sterilizer, combinator). It is also possible to combine the apparatus with an emulsifier such as a homogenizer, an in-line mixer, or a colloid mill.

In the present invention, first, raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, water, and optionally a molten salt Is mixed to obtain a mixture.

The molten salt is preferably used in order to further improve the fluidity and dispersibility of the resulting cheese sauce.
As a molten salt, the molten salt used for manufacture of normal process cheese, such as a phosphate, a citrate, a tartrate, can be used. The molten salt is not particularly limited. For example, monosodium monophosphate, disodium monophosphate, trisodium monophosphate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrametaline Examples thereof include sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, potassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, trisodium citrate, sodium tartrate, calcium tartrate and the like. A molten salt may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

In the present invention, the molten salt is particularly preferably monosodium monophosphate, disodium monophosphate and trisodium monophosphate, and by using these, the fluidity and dispersibility of the cheese sauce can be further balanced.

The viscosity and hardness of the melted cheese is derived from the protein network, but the cheese sauce of the present invention is inhibited by the action of the specific emulsifier and protein of the present invention, the protein network is weakened, and the structure is weakened. / W type emulsion. When protein is heated, it polymerizes at around 60 to 80 ° C., but it is speculated that the specific emulsifier of the present invention contributes to the inhibition of its action. Addition of molten salt acts even more favorably on the weakening of the structure. The cheese sauce obtained by this has the desired fluidity | liquidity which has not existed conventionally, and can improve work characteristics. It can be observed with a confocal laser microscope (for example, “FV1000” manufactured by Olympus Corporation) that the cheese sauce of the present invention is an O / W emulsion.

Unless otherwise specified, the amount of molten salt is the amount in terms of anhydride. The blending amount of phosphate and other molten salt is usually 0.1 to 5% by mass, and 0.5 to 4% by mass with respect to the total amount (100% by mass) of the raw cheese as a total amount. Preferably, it is 1.5 to 3.5% by mass, more preferably 1.5 to 2.5% by mass. When the blending amount is less than 0.1% by mass, emulsification is not performed well and the oil may be separated from the cheese. If the blending amount exceeds 5% by mass, depending on the combination of the molten salt, an igumi derived from the molten salt may occur, which may adversely affect the flavor.

In the mixing step, in addition to the above raw materials, auxiliary raw materials may be used as appropriate. Examples of the auxiliary material include thickening polysaccharides, fragrances, milk materials, starch, gelatin, animal fats and oils, vegetable fats and oils, and the like.

In the mixing step, the raw cheese is preferably pulverized and mixed. If raw material cheese is grind | pulverized before mixing with another raw material, the heat-melting in a later heating emulsification process will become easy. As a means for pulverizing raw material cheese, it may be cut and pulverized by a generally known means such as a chopper.

In the present invention, subsequently, a heating emulsification step of heating and emulsifying the mixture obtained by the mixing step is performed.

In the heat emulsification step, the crushed raw material cheese, the emulsifier of the present invention, molten salt, water, and a mixture to which auxiliary materials are added if necessary are put into a high-speed shear emulsification kettle and heated and melted with stirring. After melting, homogenization (homogenization process) and filling (filling process).

The heating emulsification temperature in the heating emulsification step is preferably in the range of 80 to 100 ° C, more preferably in the range of 85 to 90 ° C. It is preferable for the heating emulsification temperature to be in the above-mentioned range since good emulsification stability can be obtained and an increase in viscosity and a decrease in flavor can be suppressed. The heating emulsification time is preferably in the range of 5 to 10 minutes, more preferably in the range of 5 to 8 minutes. It is preferable that the heating emulsification time be in the above-mentioned range because good emulsification stability can be obtained and an increase in viscosity and a decrease in flavor can be suppressed. Heat emulsification is usually performed with stirring.

The homogenization pressure in the homogenization step is preferably less than 5 MPa, more preferably 2 MPa or less. It is preferable for the homogenization pressure to be in the above range since an increase in viscosity during production can be suppressed.
After the homogenization step, a cooling operation is appropriately performed to obtain the cheese sauce of the present invention.

The cheese sauce of the present invention can contain 60% by mass or more of raw material cheese, and therefore can have a well-balanced cheese flavor only with the obtained cheese sauce. Therefore, additives such as flavors and seasonings are not required, but these other additives may be blended (added) at any stage of production if desired. Although this arbitrary component is not specifically limited, For example, sweets, a fruit processed product, a vegetable processed product, dairy products, chocolate, a seasoning etc. are mentioned. Specifically, as sweets, liquid sugar, syrup, sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc., as processed fruits, jam, marmalade, fruit sauce, fruit juice, etc., as processed vegetables, vegetable paste, Examples of vegetable juices and rice cakes include dairy products such as cream and fermented milk, and examples of seasonings include salt and mayonnaise.

The present invention includes at least one raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water, and further if necessary. A method for improving the spreadability of cheese sauce (improving method) and squeezing, characterized by comprising a mixing step of mixing a molten salt to obtain a mixture, and a heating emulsification step of heating and emulsifying the obtained mixture It is also a method for improving ease, a method for improving emulsion stability, a method for improving flavor, and a method for improving texture.

The cheese sauce of the present invention is not particularly limited in usage, for example, spread and used on bread, crackers, etc., soaked in vegetables, fruits, etc., used as a topping or sauce for various dishes can do. In addition, the cheese sauce of the present invention can be kneaded into confectionery or bread dough, or can be added to processed foods such as dressing, pasta sauce, omelet, and doria, beverage foods, etc. to obtain a cheese sauce-containing food. .

Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Example 1: Effect on emulsification stability of cheese sauce accompanying change in HLB of emulsifier>
(Preparation of cheese sauce 1-9)
223 g of Strong Cheddar (manufactured by Fontera), 66 g of Granular K (Cheddar, manufactured by Fontera), 33 g of Parmesan (manufactured by Fontera), and crushing each raw material cheese ("Meat Chopper MD" manufactured by Nantsune Co., Ltd.) -22K ") and minced in a minced state and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, the raw cheese was transferred to a kettle-type table kettle, 9.4 g of monosodium monophosphate and 1.7 g of any of various emulsifiers shown in Table 1 were added, and the cheese sauce actually produced was added. Water was added so that the water content was 47% by mass, and lactic acid was used to adjust the pH after melting to about 5.5 to obtain various mixtures.

Subsequently, the various mixtures obtained above were stirred at 100 rpm for 1 minute, and then heated and melted at 200 rpm at 89 ° C. for 8 minutes to emulsify. Next, the cheese sauces 1 to 9 were obtained after homogenization at 10000 rpm for 90 seconds using an emulsifier (“TK homomixer” manufactured by PRIMIX Corporation).

(Production of cheese sauces 10 and 11)
In the above cheese sauce 2, cheese sauce is the same except that the amount of monosodium monophosphate as a molten salt is 1.5% and 1.0% with respect to the total weight of the cheese sauce. 10 and 11 were obtained.

The obtained cheese sauces 1 to 11 were filled in sealed containers, and immersed and held in hot water at 80 ° C. for 40 minutes.

The state after holding hot water was observed. The viscosity immediately after melting (80 ° C.), the viscosity at 10 ° C. cooling, and the hardness at 10 ° C. cooling were measured and shown in Table 2.
The viscosity was measured with a viscometer (“Viscotester VT-04F” manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.). The cheese emulsion that had reached 89 ° C. was filled into a stainless steel cup (No. 3 cup, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) for up to 9 minutes, and each was measured with a viscometer. For the rotor, No. 1 rotor (manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.) was used.
The hardness was measured with a “Rheometer” manufactured by Fudo Kogyo Co., Ltd. (plunger: φ10 mm ball, penetration speed: 5 cm / min, penetration distance: 5 mm).

Moreover, the emulsion stability (state after holding hot water) and flavor were evaluated according to the following criteria, and are also shown in Table 2. Furthermore, the state in the sealed container of each cheese sauce immediately after melting is shown in FIGS.
[Evaluation of condition after holding hot water]
The appearance of the cheese sauce in the sealed container was visually confirmed by five specialist panels, and comprehensively judged according to the following criteria. Evaluation was based on the average of the five evaluation points.
5: State in which fat separation is not observed 4: State in which fat spots are visible in some places 3: Fat is clearly separated and bleeding or yellowing occurs locally 2: Fat is severely separated, The whole tissue is yellowed
1: State in which the cheese tissue and fat are completely separated [Flavor Evaluation]
Five professional panelists sampled the cheese sauce and made a comprehensive judgment based on the following criteria. Evaluation was based on the average of the five evaluation points.
5: Cheese-derived lipolytic odor is strong enough to pass through the nose and umami, richness and sweetness are felt strongly in the aftertaste 4: Cheese-derived lipolytic odor is felt weakly, but the aftertaste clearly has umami, richness Taste and sweetness remain 3: Cheese-derived lipolytic odor, aftertaste umami, rich taste and sweetness 2: As a whole, salty taste is outstanding, and fragrance, umami, rich taste and sweetness are weak and refreshing 1: Cheese has a weak flavor and a strong salty and heated odor

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the appearance of cheese sauces 1 to 3 and 7 to 10 did not change after holding hot water. On the other hand, in the cheese sauces 4 to 6, the fat started to melt and the appearance changed from cream color to pale yellow when kept with hot water. In addition, although the cheese sauce 11 saw some separation of fat, it is not a level that causes a problem in terms of product as a comprehensive evaluation.
In addition, as is clear from the results of Table 2, FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b), 2 (a), and 2 (b), the cheese sauces 1 to 3 and 7 to 10 hold hot water. Later, no separation of fat was observed, and the emulsion stability was superior to cheese sauces 4-6. That is, by using a lipophilic emulsifier with an HLB of 0 to 2 or a hydrophilic emulsifier with an HLB of 15 to 20, it is possible to produce a cheese sauce with excellent emulsification stability by suppressing fat separation (oil-off). I understood.
In addition, in cheese sauces 1 to 3 and 7 to 11, good products were obtained in which the cheese's original flavor and texture were fully utilized.

<Example 2: Influence on flowability (hardness) of cheese accompanying change in blending amount of emulsifier>
Cheddar (Meiji Co., Ltd.) 5.2 kg, Granular K (Cheddar, Fontera Co., Ltd.) 1.5 kg, Parmesan (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 0.7 kg, and each raw cheese is crushed (Nan Co., Ltd.) (Meat chopper MD-22K, manufactured by Tsune) and pulverized in a minced state and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, 0.2 kg of the above raw material cheese, monosodium monophosphate, remade cheese (amount to be 5% by mass in the raw material cheese) and lipophilic emulsifier (“Sugar Ester P-170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd.), HLB = 1) in the amount shown in Table 3 (% by mass relative to the whole cheese sauce), put in the mixing device, and add water so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce is about 47% by mass, and add lactic acid. It was used to adjust the pH after melting to about 5.5 to obtain various mixtures.
Subsequently, the various mixtures obtained above were stirred under conditions of 750 rpm and 1 minute using an emulsification pot (“Stephan Cooker” manufactured by Stefan), and then heated under conditions of 1500 rpm and 85 ° C. for 8 minutes. It was melted and emulsified to obtain cheese sauces 12 and 13.

The obtained cheese sauces 12 and 13 were filled in sealed containers, respectively, and immersed and held in hot water at 80 ° C. for 40 minutes.
In the same manner as in Example 1, the viscosity immediately after melting (80 ° C.), the viscosity at 10 ° C. cooling, and the hardness at 10 ° C. cooling were measured and shown in Table 3.
In addition, as in Example 1, the emulsion stability (state after holding hot water) and the flavor were evaluated and are also shown in Table 3.

As is clear from the results in Table 3, cheese sauces 12 and 13 are both excellent in emulsification stability, suppressed in increase in hardness, and produced a cheese sauce with excellent flavor and texture. I understood that I could do it.

<Example 3: Influence on fluidity of cheese sauce accompanying change in type of molten salt>
246 g of Strong Cheddar (manufactured by Fontera), 70 g of Granular K (Cheddar, manufactured by Fontera), and 35 g of Parmesan (manufactured by Fontera) were weighed, and each raw cheese was crushed ("Meat Chopper MD" manufactured by Nantsune Corporation). -22K ") and minced in a minced state and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, the raw cheese is transferred to a kettle-type tabletop kettle, various molten salts shown in Table 4 are added at 9.6 g, and the water content of the cheese sauce actually produced is about 47% by mass. In this manner, water was added and lactic acid was used to adjust the pH after melting to about 5.5 to obtain various mixtures.

Subsequently, the various mixtures obtained above were stirred at 100 rpm for 1 minute, and then heated and melted at 200 rpm at 85 ° C. for 8 minutes to emulsify. Next, using an emulsifier (“TK homomixer” manufactured by PRIMIX Co., Ltd.), homogenization was performed under the conditions of 10,000 rpm and 90 seconds to obtain various cheese sauces.

The viscosity of cheese sauces 14 to 17 immediately after melting was measured and shown in FIG. The viscosity was measured with a viscometer (“Viscotester VT-04F” manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.). The cheese sauce that had reached 85 ° C. was filled into a stainless steel cup (No. 3 cup, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) for up to 9 minutes, and measured with a viscometer. For the rotor, No. 1 rotor (manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.) was used.

As is clear from the results in FIG. 3, the viscosity of the cheese sauce 14 was significantly reduced compared to the cheese sauces 15 to 17. Therefore, it was found that disodium monophosphate can effectively suppress the increase in viscosity.

<Example 4: Influence on fluidity of cheese sauce accompanying change in pH>
Cheddar (Meiji Co., Ltd.) 5.2kg, Granular K (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 1.5kg, Parmesan (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 0.7kg, each raw cheese pulverizer (Natsune Co., Ltd.) “Meat chopper MD-22K”) was crushed into minced shapes and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, 0.2 kg of the above raw material cheese, monosodium monophosphate, and 0.02 kg of lipophilic emulsifier (“Sugar Ester P-170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., HLB = 1) were put into the mixing apparatus, Furthermore, water was added so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce was about 47% by mass. Various mixtures were obtained using lactic acid so that the pH after melting was adjusted to Table 5.

Subsequently, the various mixtures obtained above were stirred at 100 rpm for 1 minute, and then melted and emulsified at 200 rpm at 85 ° C. for 8 minutes to obtain cheese sauces 18 to 20. The viscosities of cheese sauces 18 to 20 immediately after melting were measured and are shown in Table 5 and FIG. The cheese sauce that had reached 89 ° C. was filled in a stainless steel cup (No. 3 cup, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) for up to 9 minutes, and measured with a viscometer. For the rotor, No. 1 rotor (manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.) was used.

As is apparent from the results of Table 5 and FIG. 4, it was found that the viscosity of the cheese sauce decreases with decreasing pH. When the pH was 5.78 (cheese sauce 18), the viscosity increased and the fluidity tended to decrease.
In addition, when pH was 5.3 (cheese sauce 20), although the acidity by low pH was felt slightly, it was a flavor without a problem. From the above, it was found that when the pH is in the range of 5.3 to 5.8, it is possible to secure a fluidity and to manufacture a cheese sauce with good flavor and physical properties.

<Example 5: Comparison of tissue structure by confocal laser microscope>
The cheese sauce 19 prepared in Example 4 was filled in a sealed container and allowed to stand overnight in a refrigerator. Thereafter, sampling was performed up to the eighth minute of the plastic petri dish for water activity measurement.
As a comparison, process cheese (“Meiji Hokkaido Tokachi Smart Cheese Umami Rich Cheddar Blend” manufactured by Meiji Co., Ltd.) was used, cut into a size of about 5 mm long × 5 mm wide × 2 mm thick, and placed on a plastic petri dish for measuring water activity.

-50 to 100 μl of fluorescent staining solution was dropped on the sampled cheese sauce 19 and comparative process cheese, and allowed to stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After standing, the excess dyeing solution was rinsed with distilled water in the comparative process cheese. A cover glass was placed on the surface of each sample (cheese sauce) and lightly pressed to flatten the surface. In addition, 0.02 g of Nile Red (fat staining; excitation wavelength 488 nm) and 0.01 g of Nile Blue (protein staining; excitation wavelength 633 nm) were taken as fluorescent staining solutions, and the volume was increased to 1 L with 1,2-propanediol. A thing was used.

The distribution of protein and fat was observed on the stained sample using a confocal laser microscope ("FV1000" manufactured by Olympus Corporation). In addition, “FITC” was selected for Nile Red and “Alexa Fluor 633” was selected for Nile Blue as measurement dyes at the time of observation. The results are shown in FIG.

From the result of FIG. 5, the tissue of the comparative process cheese was dotted with fat in the protein network. On the other hand, the structure of the cheese sauce 19 was significantly different from that of the comparative process cheese, and had a structure in which fat was distributed as the main body of the network and the periphery of the protein was covered with fat. Therefore, it is considered that the polymerization between proteins is inhibited and the viscosity does not increase during production. For the same reason, it is presumed that the protein cannot form a gel and the fluidity is improved even under refrigeration. The cheese sauce 19 shows a distribution similar to the W / O type, but it is energized when electricity is passed and does not dissolve in fats and oils, so it turns out that it is the same O / W type as ordinary process cheese. It was.

<Example 6: Correlation between viscosity and hardness of cheese sauce>
Cheddar (Meiji Co., Ltd.) 5.2kg, Granular K (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 1.5kg, Parmesan (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 0.7kg, each raw cheese pulverizer (Natsune Co., Ltd.) “Meat chopper MD-22K”) was crushed into minced shapes and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, 0.2 kg of the above raw material cheese, monosodium monophosphate, and 0.02 kg of lipophilic emulsifier (“Sugar Ester P-170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., HLB = 1) were put into the mixing apparatus, Furthermore, water was added so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce was about 47% by mass. Various mixtures were obtained by adjusting the pH after melting to 5.5 with lactic acid.

The mixture obtained above was stirred under the conditions of 750 rpm and 1 minute using an emulsification kettle (“Stephan Cooker” manufactured by Stefan), and then heated and melted under the conditions of 1500 rpm and 85 ° C. for 8 minutes to emulsify. To obtain various cheese sauces. Next, it was transferred to a 4 L stainless steel vat and stirred and held at a rotation speed of 20 rpm in a constant temperature bath at 80 ° C., and the viscosity was measured appropriately. The viscosity was measured with a viscometer (“Viscotester VT-04F” manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.). The cheese sauce was filled into a stainless steel cup (No. 3 cup, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) for up to 9 minutes and measured with a viscometer. For the rotor, No. 1 rotor (manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.) was used.

The cheese sauce whose viscosity was measured was filled in a sealed container and cooled in a refrigerator at 4 ° C. In a glass beaker (50 mL volume), 50 g of cheese sauce left overnight was collected, sealed so as not to dry, allowed to stand at 10 ° C. for 4 hours or more, and then cooled. The flowability (hardness) of the obtained cheese sauce after cooling was measured using the following apparatus, and the results are shown in FIG.
[Flowability (hardness) measuring device]
・ "Rheometer" manufactured by Fudo Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Plunger: φ10mm sphere, penetration speed: 5cm / min, penetration distance: 5mm
The measurement results of viscosity and hardness are shown in FIG.

From FIG. 6, a high correlation was observed between the viscosity at high temperature and the hardness of the cheese sauce after cooling. Although the evaluation criteria for the fluidity and ease of squeezing of the products under consideration use hardness as an index, it is considered that the fluidity after refrigeration can be estimated from the viscosity measurement results based on the results shown in FIG.

<Example 7: Effect on fluidity of cheese sauce accompanying change in homogenization pressure>
Cheddar (Meiji Co., Ltd.) 5.2kg, Granular K (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 1.5kg, Parmesan (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 0.7kg, each raw cheese pulverizer (Natsune Co., Ltd.) “Meat chopper MD-22K”) was crushed into minced shapes and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, 0.2 kg of the above raw material cheese, monosodium monophosphate, and 0.02 kg of lipophilic emulsifier (“Sugar Ester P-170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., HLB = 1) were put into the mixing apparatus, Furthermore, water was added so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce was about 47% by mass. Using lactic acid, the pH after melting was adjusted to 5.5 to obtain a mixture.

Subsequently, the mixture obtained above was stirred under conditions of 750 rpm for 1 minute, and then heated and melted and emulsified under conditions of 1500 rpm, 85 ° C. for 8 minutes.
The resulting emulsion was homogenized at three levels of 0 MPa, 2 MPa and 5 MPa using an emulsifier (“Homogenizer HA4733” manufactured by Sanwa Engineering Co., Ltd.) to obtain various cheese sauces. About 2 kg of the homogenized cheese sauce was sampled on a 4 L stainless steel vat and stirred and held at a speed of 20 rpm while being kept warm in a constant temperature bath at 80 ° C. The viscosity was measured every other hour, and the results are shown in FIG. The viscosity was measured with a viscometer (“Viscotester VT-04F” manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.). The cheese sauce was filled into a stainless steel cup (No. 3 cup, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) for up to 9 minutes and measured with a viscometer. For the rotor, No. 1 rotor (manufactured by Lion Co., Ltd.) was used.

FIG. 7 shows that the viscosity increase rate tends to depend on the homogenization pressure. Moreover, even when the homogenization pressure was reduced, fat separation did not occur and emulsification was good. Conventionally, it is known that a good structure can be obtained by setting the homogenization pressure to about 10 MPa. However, it has been found that a good structure can be obtained with a lower viscosity by reducing the homogenization pressure in the present invention. .

<Example 8: Measurement of umami index>
Cheddar (Meiji Co., Ltd.) 5.2 kg, Granular K (Cheddar, Fontera Co., Ltd.) 1.5 kg, Parmesan (Fontera Co., Ltd.) 0.7 kg, and each raw cheese is crushed (Nan Co., Ltd.) (Meat chopper MD-22K, manufactured by Tsune) and pulverized in a minced state and mixed in a mixing apparatus until uniform. The ripeness of the raw material cheese was 28%.
Subsequently, 0.2 kg of the above raw material cheese, monosodium monophosphate, and 0.02 kg of lipophilic emulsifier (“Sugar Ester P-170” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Co., Ltd., HLB = 1) were put into the mixing apparatus, Furthermore, water was added so that the moisture content of the cheese sauce was about 47% by mass. Using lactic acid, the pH after melting was adjusted to 5.5 to obtain a mixture. The resulting mixture was stirred using an emulsification kettle (“Stephan Cooker” manufactured by Stefan Co.) at 750 rpm for 1 minute, and then melted by heating and emulsification at 1500 rpm, 85 ° C. for 8 minutes to obtain cheese. Source 21 was obtained.

New Zealand cheddar cheese (aged for 10 months) was used as comparative cheese sauce 1, and Australian cheddar cheese (aged for 5.5 months) was used as comparative cheese sauce 2.

For each cheese sauce, the PTA soluble nitrogen fraction was measured as an indicator of umami. Small peptides and amino acids closely related to the generation of cheese flavor can be confirmed as a phosphotungstic acid (PTA) soluble fraction. Since PTA-soluble nitrogen is produced by degrading proteins by enzymes during ripening of natural cheese, PTA-soluble nitrogen in cheese is suitable as an indicator for cheese flavor such as umami.
The measuring method is as follows.
Measuring method [PTA soluble nitrogen content]
(1) To 5 g of the sample (cheese), add 0.05 M sodium citrate dihydrate solution heated to about 50 ° C. in 60 ml, and homogenize using a rotary homogenizer at 8000 rpm for about 3 minutes. To do.
(2) Wash the homogenizer with distilled water to 100 g.
(3) While stirring with a stirrer, adjust the pH to 4.40 ± 0.05 with a 6N hydrochloric acid solution.
(4) Toyo Filter Paper No. Filter with 5A, take 10 ml of the filtrate into a test tube with a stopper, add 6 ml of 25% sulfuric acid and 4 ml of 25% PTA, and let stand at room temperature overnight.
(5) Toyo Filter Paper No. Filter with 5A, take 4 ml of the filtrate and quantify nitrogen by Kjeldahl method. This obtained value is the PTA-soluble nitrogen fraction per gram of cheese.

Each cheese sauce was compared using the mass ratio (PTA / total N (%)) of PTA-soluble nitrogen (PTA) and total nitrogen (total N) as an umami index. The mass ratio of PTA soluble nitrogen (PTA) and total nitrogen (total N) in the total amount of raw cheese can be calculated by the following calculation method.
PTA / total N (%) = PTA soluble nitrogen content / total nitrogen content × 100
The mass ratio of PTA soluble nitrogen (PTA) and total nitrogen (total N) is shown in FIG.

From FIG. 8, it was found that PTA / total N of cheese sauce 21 showed a higher value than general natural cheese (compared cheese sauces 1 and 2). Therefore, it was speculated that the cheese sauce of the present invention has a strong cheese-derived umami taste and can impart a good flavor with addition of a small amount.

Although the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. This application is based on a Japanese patent application filed on August 29, 2014 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-176663), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

A cheese sauce containing at least one raw material cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water.
The cheese sauce according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the cheese sauce is 40 to 56 mass%.
The cheese sauce according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hardness at 10 ° C is 0.01 to 500 g, or the viscosity at 10 ° C is 0.01 to 750 Pa · s.
The cheese sauce according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a mass ratio of water-soluble nitrogen and total nitrogen, which is a maturity index, is 16 to 40% in a total amount of raw cheese.
A mixing step of mixing at least one raw cheese, at least one emulsifier selected from the group consisting of a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 0 to 2 and a hydrophilic emulsifier having an HLB of 15 to 20, and water to obtain a mixture; and The manufacturing method of the cheese sauce which has a heating emulsification process of heating and emulsifying the obtained mixture.
The method for producing a cheese sauce according to claim 5, comprising a step of adjusting the pH of the mixture after the heating emulsification step to 5 to 6.
The cheese sauce manufacturing method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein in the mixing step, at least one molten salt selected from the group consisting of monosodium monophosphate, disodium monophosphate, and trisodium monophosphate is added.
The method for producing a cheese sauce according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the moisture content of the cheese sauce is 40 to 56 mass% with respect to the total amount of the cheese sauce to be produced.
The method for producing a cheese sauce according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein a mass ratio of water-soluble nitrogen which is a maturity index and total nitrogen is 16 to 40% in the total amount of raw material cheese.