WO2020218428A1

WO2020218428A1 - Cheese-like food product and production method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2020218428A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/017516
Authority: WO
Inventors: 貴宏花房; 素晴小森; 典明松永
Original assignee: 株式会社明治
Priority date: 2019-04-24
Filing date: 2020-04-23
Publication date: 2020-10-29
Also published as: JPWO2020218428A1

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a cheese-like food product which does not contain cheese as a raw material and which exhibits excellent stringing properties and processing suitability that enables cutting into a shredded shape or the like. This cheese-like food product contains rennet casein and agar but does not contain cheese.

Description

Cheese-like foods and their manufacturing methods

The present invention relates to cheese-like foods and methods for producing them.

The total consumption of cheese in Japan increased from about 150,000 tons in 1990 to 340,000 tons in 2017, more than doubling in about a quarter century, and during this period, total consumption every year except for 2008 and 2009. It has set a new record for quantity, and various cheeses and various foods using cheese are deeply infiltrating Japan as a food culture.

On the other hand, the price of cheese has tended to rise in recent years due to the soaring price of raw milk, which is the raw material of cheese, and the increase in manufacturing cost, and some types of cheese have high fat and salt content, such as adult diseases. However, from the viewpoint of cost and health consciousness, the demand for cheese-like foods having a flavor and texture similar to cheese is increasing.

Patent Documents 1-3 relate to cheese-like foods having a texture similar to cheese, but contain cheese as a raw material. Regarding cheese-like foods that do not contain cheese as a raw material, they are disclosed in Patent Documents 4-7 and the like and can meet predetermined needs, but there is a further demand for cheese-like foods that can meet various needs.

JP-A-2009-159906 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-13127 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-184678 JP-A-2010-142181 JP-A-2015-188387 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-091834 WO 2017/150458 Gazette

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cheese-like food having excellent stringing property and processing suitability that can be cut into a shred shape, etc., and a method for producing the same, without using cheese as a raw material.

The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to solve the above problems, and by using rennet casein and agar as raw materials instead of using cheese, they have an excellent viscosity in an appropriate range during production. We found that cheese-like foods with stringability and processing suitability that can be cut into shreds can be obtained, and as we proceeded with further research, we lowered the pH when heating and melting raw materials such as rennet casein and agar. We have found that cheese-like foods with high microbiological and physical preservation can be obtained, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to the following cheese-like foods and methods for producing cheese-like foods.
[1] A step of mixing raw materials containing rennet casein and agar but not cheese.
The process of heating and melting the obtained mixture to adjust the pH,
A method for producing cheese-like foods including.
[2] The method according to [1], wherein the pH adjuster is added after the mixture reaches 80 ° C. or higher.
[3] The method according to [1] or [2], wherein the pH is adjusted by adding lactic acid.
[4] The method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the pH is adjusted to 5.3 to 5.7.
[5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein rennet casein and agar are used in a ratio of 1: 0.05 to 0.2.
[6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the raw material further contains an edible oil and fat and a molten salt.
[7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the rennet casein is 12% by weight or less.
[8] The method according to [6] or [7], wherein edible fats and oils are used in an amount of 25 to 40% by weight.
[9] The method according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the raw material contains sodium caseinate.
[10] The method according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the raw material further contains starch and / or a thickening polysaccharide.
[11] The method according to [10], wherein the starch content is 1 to 2% by weight.
[12] The method according to [10] or [11], wherein the thickening polysaccharide is 0.1 to 1% by weight.
[13] The method according to [12], wherein the thickening polysaccharide is a combination of two or more kinds of thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, and carrageenan.
[14] The method according to any one of [1] to [13], wherein the mixing rate is less than 100 sec ^-1 .
[15] A cheese-like food produced by the method according to any one of [1] to [14].
[16] The cheese-like food according to [15], which has a hardness of 0.05 to 0.11 J.
[17] The cheese-like food according to any one of [15] and [16], wherein the solid fat content (SFC) at 10 ° C. is 70% by weight.
Furthermore, the present invention also relates to the following.
[1] A cheese-like food containing rennet casein and agar and not containing cheese.
[2] The cheese-like food according to the above [1], further containing an edible oil and fat and a molten salt.
[3] The cheese-like food according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the rennet casein is 12% by weight or less.
[4] The cheese-like food according to the above [2] or [3], wherein the edible oil / fat is 25 to 40% by weight.
[5] The cheese-like food according to any one of [2] to [4] above, wherein the solid fat content (SFC) at 10 ° C. is 70% by weight.
[6] The cheese-like food product according to any one of [1] to [5] above, further comprising sodium caseinate.
[7] The cheese-like food according to any one of [1] to [6] above, further comprising starch and / or thickening polysaccharide.
[8] The cheese-like food according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the starch content is 1 to 2% by weight.
[9] The cheese-like food according to any one of [1] to [8] above, wherein the thickening polysaccharide is 0.1 to 1% by weight.
[10] A method for producing a cheese-like food product, which comprises a step of heating a raw material containing rennet casein and agar and not containing cheese to melt it, and the raw material has a pH of 5.3 to 5.7 in the melting step. The method described above, which comprises adjusting the pH so as to be.
[11] The method according to [10], which comprises a step of mixing the raw materials before the step of heating and melting, and the mixing rate is less than 100 sec ^-1 .
[12] The method for producing a cheese-like food according to the above [11], wherein the pH is adjusted by adding lactic acid.
[13] A cheese-like food product obtained by the method according to the above [11] or [12].
[14] The cheese-like food according to any one of the above [11] to [13], which has a hardness of 0.05 to 0.11 J.

According to the production method of the present invention and cheese-like foods, cheese-like foods having excellent processing suitability that can be cut into shreds and the like and having stringing property when heated can be efficiently produced at low cost. Further, according to the production method of the present invention, in addition to the processing suitability and thread pulling property that can be cut into shreds and the like, it is possible to provide a cheese-like food that can be stored for a long period of time by suppressing microbial growth and water separation during storage. Can be done. As a result, cheese-like foods with excellent taste can be efficiently mass-produced without using raw milk or cheese, so it is inexpensive for various dishes and foods without being affected by soaring raw material costs such as raw milk. It is possible to provide a healthy cheese-like food that can impart the taste of cheese.

The criteria for evaluating the processing suitability that can be cut into shreds are shown.

The cheese-like food of the present invention does not contain cheeses such as natural cheese, processed cheese or cheese food as raw materials. That is, the cheese-like food of the present invention is produced without using any of natural cheese; processed cheese using natural cheese as a raw material; natural cheese and / or cheese food using processed cheese as a raw material. Therefore, the cheese-like food of the present invention does not contain cheese.
Therefore, the cheese-like food of the present invention is a "food containing milk or the like as a main raw material" in the "Ministry Ordinance on Ingredient Standards for Milk and Dairy Products" (Ministry Ordinance for Milk, etc.). The cheese-like food of the present invention contains rennet casein and agar as essential components, and means a product obtained by stirring and emulsifying a mixture thereof while heating and melting, and exhibits a flavor and texture similar to cheeses. It is food.

A raw material for a cheese-like food product (referred to as “cheese raw material” or “raw material”) according to the present invention will be described.
The cheese raw material includes rennet casein and agar, but may further contain edible fats and oils, water, molten salt, protein, starch, thickening polysaccharide, taste raw material, pH adjuster and the like.

The rennet casein used in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be a general one in the art, for example, rennet is added to raw milk, milk, sheep milk, goat milk, prepared milk, defatted milk, etc. It is obtained by removing the whey and drying it after forming the milk. The rennet casein contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be 5 to 30% by weight, preferably 12% by weight or less from the viewpoint of low cost. In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of rennet is preferably 5% by weight or more, and more preferably 8% by weight or more.

The agar used in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be any agar used in foods, and is extracted from red algae such as Amakusa, Gracilaria, and Itanikusa, for example, thread agar, stick agar, and flake agar. , Powdered agar, or agar that has been subjected to various processing treatments according to the manufacturing technique, and one or more of these may be used. The agar used in the cheese-like food of the present invention has the purpose of imparting characteristics such as appropriate viscosity during production, processing suitability for cutting into shreds, and stringing property during heating by combining with rennet casein. Used in. Processed agar has low-strength / high-strength agar-type jelly, increased / weakened viscoelasticity, high-melting / low-melting point, high-molecular-weight / low-molecular-weight agar. Any of these can be used. Specifically, cricolican (Ina Food Industry) as high-strength agar, UP-37K (Ina Food Industry) as low-strength agar, and soft agar with high viscous elasticity (Ina Food Industry). Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.) may be used. The agar contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be 0.1 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 4% by weight, more preferably 0.3 to 3% by weight, still more preferably 0.3% by weight, based on the whole cheese raw material. It is preferably 0.4 to 2% by weight, and 0.5 to 1% by weight from the viewpoint of processing suitability for cutting into shreds and the like and thread pulling property at the time of heating.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of agar is 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 0.2% by weight or more, more preferably 0.3% by weight or more, still more preferably 0.4% by weight or more. , Most preferably 0.5% by weight or more, 5% by weight or less, preferably 4% by weight or less, more preferably 3% by weight or less, still more preferably 2% by weight or less, most preferably 1% by weight or less. Is.
In one aspect of the present invention, the weight ratio of rennet casein to agar can be appropriately selected, but is preferably 1: 0.05 to 0.2 from the viewpoint of providing processability and stringing property during heating. , More preferably 1: 0.07 to 0.11.
In a special aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use low-strength agar (agar-type jelly strength of 800 g / cm ² or less) as the agar.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain edible fats and oils as a raw material. The edible fats and oils used in the cheese-like foods of the present invention may be any edible fats and oils used in foods, and examples thereof include vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, and edible refined processed fats and oils. More specifically, corn oil, soybean oil, palm oil, linseed oil, tung oil, saflower oil, pod oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, spicy oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, olive oil, palm oil, coco. Avatar, canola oil, grape seed oil, red flower oil, vegetable margarine, pumpkin seed oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea seed oil, rice oil, wheat germ oil and other vegetable oils, milk fat, beef fat, pork fat, sheep Animal fats and oils such as fats, fish oils and whale oils, and their hardened oils, ester exchange oils, fractionated oils and the like may be used, and one or more of these may be used. From the viewpoint of giving a good texture to cheese-like foods, the solid fat content (SFC) of edible fats and oils at 10 ° C. is 45% or more, more preferably 50% or more, still more preferably 60% or more, still more preferably 70. % Or more. The edible oil and fat contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be 1 to 50% by weight, more preferably 10 to 45% by weight, and 25 to 40% by weight in the whole cheese raw material from the viewpoint of giving a good texture. More preferred.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of the edible oil / fat is preferably 1% by weight or more, more preferably 10% by weight or more, still more preferably 25% by weight or more, preferably 50% by weight or less, more preferably 45% by weight. By weight or less, more preferably 40% by weight or less.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain water as a raw material. The water is ordinary drinking water, and water may be added directly to the raw material used in the cheese-like food of the present invention, or the water contained in the raw material may be used. The content of water is preferably 30% by weight or more, and may be, for example, 30 to 80% by weight or 40 to 60% by weight in the whole cheese raw material.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of water is preferably 30% by weight or more, more preferably 40% by weight or more, preferably 80% by weight or less, and more preferably 60% by weight or less.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain a molten salt as a raw material. The molten salt used in the cheese-like food of the present invention may be any salt as long as it is generally used in the production of processed cheese, and citrates, phosphates, polyphosphates (diphosphates). , Etc., and one or more of these can be used. The molten salt contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is 0.01 to 3% by weight, preferably 0.05 to 2% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 1% by weight, and further preferably 0 in the total cheese raw material. .2 to 0.5% by weight.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of the molten salt is 0.01% by weight or more, preferably 0.05% by weight or more, more preferably 0.1% by weight or more, still more preferably 0.2% by weight. As mentioned above, it is 3% by weight or less, preferably 2% by weight or less, more preferably 1% by weight or less, and further preferably 0.5% by weight or less.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain acid casein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate and the like as raw materials as the same casein protein as rennet casein. The content of the casein protein exemplified here is preferably less than the content of rennet casein, and may be, for example, 0.1 to 15% by weight in the whole cheese raw material. It is preferably 0.2 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight, and even more preferably 1 to 4% by weight.
In one aspect of the present invention, the compounding ratio of casein protein is 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 0.2% by weight or more, more preferably 0.5% by weight or more, still more preferably 1% by weight or more. Yes, it is 15% by weight or less, preferably 10% by weight or less, more preferably 5% by weight or less, still more preferably 4% by weight or less.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain starch as a raw material. The starch used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is a thickening stabilizer and is not particularly limited as long as it is used in ordinary foods, and is derived from, for example, corn starch, wheat starch, rice starch, mylostarch, and waxy corn starch. Starch, potato starch, citrus starch, tapioca starch, sago starch, kudzu starch, warabi starch, lentin starch, green bean starch, and processed starch derived from them, which have undergone various processing treatments, may be used, and one of these or one of them may be used. Multiple can be used. The processing treatment may be etherification treatment, esterification treatment, acid treatment, cross-linking treatment, heat treatment, wet heat treatment, enzyme treatment, or the like, and may be a combination of a plurality of treatments. The starch contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is 0.1 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 3% by weight, still more preferably 1 to 1 to 10% by weight, based on the whole cheese raw material. 2% by weight.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of the starch is 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 0.2% by weight or more, more preferably 0.5% by weight or more, still more preferably 1% by weight or more, and 10% by weight. By weight or less, preferably 5% by weight or less, more preferably 3% by weight or less, still more preferably 2% by weight or less.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain a thickening polysaccharide as a raw material. The thickening polysaccharide used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is a thickening stabilizer, and is a seaweed extract such as carrageenan and sodium alginate, and seeds such as locust bean gum, tara gum, guar gum, quince seed gum, and tamarind. Plant-based natural polymer substances such as sugars, arabic gum, tragant gum, carrageenan, pectin, soybean protein, and wheat protein, microbial-produced natural polymer substances such as xanthan gum, curdran, and gellan gum, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose, and alginate. A processed product of seaweed extract such as sodium may be used, and one or more of these may be used. The thickening polysaccharide contained in the cheese-like food of the present invention is 0.05 to 10% by weight, preferably 0.05 to 5% by weight, more preferably 0.05 to 3% by weight, and further preferably 0 in the whole cheese raw material. .1-1% by weight.
In one aspect of the present invention, the blending ratio of the thickening polysaccharide is 0.05% by weight or more, preferably 0.05% by weight or more, more preferably 0.05% by weight or more, still more preferably 0.1% by weight. As mentioned above, it is 10% by weight or less, preferably 5% by weight or less, more preferably 3% by weight or less, still more preferably 1% by weight or less.
In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use as the thickening polysaccharide in combination of two or more kinds of thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum and carrageenan.
In one aspect of the present invention, when a thickening polysaccharide is used, the blending amount of the thickening polysaccharide is preferably smaller than that of agar, and for example, the weight ratio of agar to the thickening polysaccharide is preferable. It is 1: 0.2 to 0.8, more preferably 1: 0.33 to 0.65.

The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain a taste raw material as a raw material. The taste raw material used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used in the field of cheese-like food, and for example, amino acid salts such as salt and monosodium glutamate, seasonings and the like. Often, one or more of these can be used.

In addition, the cheese-like food of the present invention may be used together with various foods such as emulsifiers, coloring agents, spices for flavoring, and any auxiliary raw materials used in foods such as flavors, if necessary. .. The emulsifier is not particularly limited, and is not particularly limited, such as lecithin, sucrose fatty acid ester, proprene glycol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, acetate monoglyceride, tartrate monoglyceride, tartrate acetate mixed monoglyceride, and quen. Various organic acid monoglycerides such as acid monoglyceride, diacetyl tartrate monoglyceride, and lactic acid monoglyceride, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, and the like may be used, and one or more of these may be used.

The method for producing a cheese-like food according to the present invention will be described. The production method according to the present invention includes a step of mixing the raw materials used in the cheese-like food of the present invention, a step of heating and melting, and a step of cooling.

In the step of mixing the raw materials used in the cheese-like food of the present invention, before the step of heating and melting, lennet casein, agar and / or edible oil, water, molten salt, protein, starch, thickening polysaccharide, This is a step of uniformly mixing the taste raw material, the emulsifier and other raw materials without heating. The mixing device is not particularly limited, such as a mixer or a food cutter, but the raw materials used for the cheese-like food of the present invention are 0 to 0 to before and after the step of keeping the inside of the device at room temperature (about 25 ° C) and mixing. It is preferably kept at 45 ° C. or 10-35 ° C. The cheese-like food of the present invention may contain a pH adjuster as a raw material, but it is preferable not to add it in the step of mixing the raw materials used in the cheese-like food of the present invention.

In the method for producing a cheese-like food according to the present invention, the step of uniformly mixing without heating is not particularly limited as long as the raw materials are uniformly mixed, and the mixing speed is not particularly limited, for example, in the range of 10 to 1000 sec ^-1. It should be done. Therefore, in the present invention, the mixing rate may be less than 100 sec ^-1 . The mixing time is not particularly limited as long as the raw materials are uniformly mixed, and may be, for example, in the range of 1 to 100 seconds.

The step of heating and melting is a step of emulsifying the raw material that has become uniform through the above-mentioned mixing step by stirring while heating. The temperature rise in the heat-melting step may be carried out to such an extent that the raw materials are heated and melted and can be mixed uniformly. The temperature may be, for example, 65 to 120 ° C., preferably 70 to 110 ° C., and 75 to 110 ° C. 100 ° C. is more preferable, and 80 to 95 ° C. is even more preferable. From the viewpoint of sufficient heating and melting, it is preferably 65 ° C. or higher, preferably 70 ° C. or higher, more preferably 75 ° C. or higher, further preferably 80 ° C. or higher, and from the viewpoint of suppressing changes in flavor, 120 ° C. or lower. It is preferably 110 ° C. or lower, more preferably 100 ° C. or lower, and even more preferably 95 ° C. or lower.
In the present invention, as an apparatus for heating and melting the raw material to emulsify, a kettle-type cheese emulsifying kettle, a horizontal cooker, a high-speed shear emulsifying kettle, a continuous heat exchanger (shock sterilizer, combinator, etc.), etc. are used. You may. Further, as the emulsifying machine, for example, a melting device and a homogenizer, an in-line mixer, a colloid mill and the like may be used.

In the method for producing a cheese-like food according to the present invention, the pH of the melted raw material is adjusted in the step of heating and melting. The pH may be adjusted in the step of heating and melting when the raw materials are heated and melted and can be mixed homogeneously. The temperature is, for example, 65 ° C. or higher, 70 ° C. or higher, or 80 ° C. or higher, and shreds. 80 ° C. or higher is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing water separation, etc., in addition to processing suitability and thread pulling property that can be cut into a shape or the like. It is preferable that the pH adjustment is not performed before the raw material is melted.

The pH adjustment may be performed by adding a pH adjuster generally used in the production of food to the molten raw material. The pH adjuster used in the cheese-like food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is used in an appropriate amount as needed to adjust the pH of the melted raw material to a desired value, and is not particularly limited, for example, organic acid or inorganic. It may be acid or the like. More specifically, lactic acid, adipic acid, citric acid, gluconodeltalactone, gluconic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, phytic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, etc. may be used, and lactic acid has a bacteriostatic effect. preferable. If the pH of the finally obtained cheese-like food is too low, the acidity is too strong and the flavor is deteriorated. Therefore, the pH is preferably 4.5 or more, more preferably 5.0 or more, still more preferably 5.3 or more. If the pH is too high, the flavor peculiar to cheese will be lacking. Therefore, the pH is preferably 6.5 or less, more preferably 6.0 or less, still more preferably 5.7 or less. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the heat-melted cheese raw material in the range of 4.5 to 6.5, more preferably 5.0 to 6.0, and further preferably 5.3 to 5.7.

The cooling step is a step of cooling the emulsified raw material through the above-mentioned heating and melting step to obtain a cheese-like food. After the raw material is heated and melted, it can be filled in a container and then cooled in the same way as ordinary process cheese, or it can be filled in a temporary container and then cooled and molded and then taken out and cut and packaged. Any method may be used, such as a method of molding and packaging while cooling, for example, cooling at 5 ° C. for 24 hours or more.

The shape of the obtained cheese-like food can be formed into any shape such as shred, slice, block, dice, etc. by the same method as that generally used for processed cheese. Is. Further, the obtained cheese-like food may be sterilized by a method generally used for foods, for example, it may be sterilized by heating at 75 to 90 ° C. for 1 to 10 minutes.

The cheese-like food according to the present invention may have a hardness of 0.03 J or more and 0.15 J or less, and is preferably 0.05 to 0.11 J from the viewpoint of processability and storage stability that can be cut into shreds and the like.

The cheese-like food according to the present invention may be heated and eaten by itself, or may be used for various products such as cheese food, seasonings, confectionery, cooked bread, retort food, food and drink, processed marine food, and liquid food. It may be used as a raw material. The cheese-like food product according to the present invention is melted by heating, and when it is stretched, it pulls a thread and has excellent thread pulling property.

Examples will be given below to explain the present invention in more detail, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The evaluation method in the examples of the present invention is as follows.

<Evaluation method of thread pullability>
25 g of the obtained cheese-like food was shredded into a width of 5 to 10 mm, a length of 10 to 20 mm, and a thickness of 1 to 2 mm to obtain a plurality of pieces. The obtained strips were placed in a circular aluminum tray having a diameter of 85 mm and heated with an oven toaster at 1000 W for 3 minutes. After allowing to cool to room temperature for 30 seconds, the cheese-like food was stirred with a fork and the fork was lifted up. The height until the cheese-like food was cut was measured and used as the length of stringability.

<Processing aptitude evaluation method that can cut into shreds, etc.>
50 g of the obtained cheese-like food was shredded into a width of 5 to 10 mm, a length of 10 to 20 mm, and a thickness of 1 to 2 mm. The state of the cheese-like food after shredding was evaluated on a 5-point scale. The evaluation criteria were in accordance with the criteria in FIG. 1 and Table 1.

<Viscosity measurement method>
The raw material emulsified through the heating and melting process is heated to 90 ° C., filled into a stainless steel cup (φ52.6 mm x height 75 mm, manufactured by Rion) to the extent that it is worn, and immediately viscometer (Viscometer VT-04, Rion). The viscosity (poise, hereinafter P) was measured with (manufactured by the company). A No. 2 rotor (φ15 mm × thickness 1 mm × height 113 mm, manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.) was used as the rotor.

<Measurement method of hardness>
The cheese-like food cut into 10 mm squares with a piano wire was stored at a constant temperature of 10 ° C. for about 4 hours to adjust the temperature to 10 ° C. A sample cheese-like food is set in a texture analyzer (Eiko Seiki Co., Ltd .; TA-X2), a 75 mm flat plate is lowered from the top surface at a speed of 0.5 mm / s, and compressed to 2 mm. The amount was defined as "hardness".

[Test Example 1]
Cheese-like foods having the formulations shown in Table 2 were produced. First, edible fats and oils 125.0 g, then rennet casein 30.0 g, sodium caseinate 12.0 g, starch 5.0 g, thickening polysaccharide 1.5 g, agar 3.0 g, flavoring ingredients 1.0 g, molten salt 1 5.5 g and 172.5 g of water were placed in a mixer (trade name "Miller (registered trademark): manufactured by Iwatani Sangyo Co., Ltd .: IFM-650D) and mixed uniformly while maintaining the raw material temperature at 10 to 35 ° C. The raw material was placed in a casein-type emulsifier and stirred while heating. When the temperature of the melted raw material reached 80 to 90 ° C., 5.0 g of a pH adjuster was added. The cheese raw material was uniformly emulsified. At this stage, heating and melting was completed, and the starch raw material was filled in a container and cooled at 5 ° C. for 24 hours or more to obtain a cheese-like food (Example 1). On the other hand, pH adjustment in the heating and melting step of Example 1. There are also cheese-like foods (Comparative Example 1) in which the addition of the agent is omitted, and cheese-like foods (Comparative Example 2) in which the pH adjuster is added in the mixing step of Example 1 and the addition of the pH adjuster is omitted in the heating and melting step. Obtained as well.

The thickening polysaccharides of Examples 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were guar gum: tara gum: locust bean gum: carrageenan in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 2 (weight ratio), and high-strength agar was used as the agar. The pH values at the end of heating and melting were pH 5.45 in Example 1, pH 6.98 in Comparative Example 1, and pH 5.62 in Comparative Example 2.

The cheese-like foods of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were evaluated for their stringability and processing suitability. The results are shown in Table 3.

The viscosities of Examples 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in the heating and melting steps were 350 P or less, both of which were within the preferable range. However, in the cheese-like food of Comparative Example 1 to which the pH adjuster was not added, the stringiness remained at 6 cm, and severe binding was observed when shredded. Further, in the cheese-like food of Comparative Example 2 to which the pH adjuster was added in the mixing step, the thread pulling property was good at 30 cm, but the shred was poor, and water separation was observed at the time of cooling. On the other hand, the cheese-like food of Example 1 in which the pH adjuster was added after the temperature was raised in the heating and melting step had a good thread pulling property of 30 cm, and although some binding was observed when shredded. The processability was within the permissible range. Further, the cheese-like food of Example 1 was a cheese-like food that could be stored for a long period of time with high emulsification stability, with no water separation or oil off even after cooling.

[Test Example 2]
In the same manner as in Example 1, cheese-like foods having the formulations shown in Table 4 (Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3) were obtained.

High-strength agar was used as the agar of Examples 2 to 5. As the thickening polysaccharide, guar gum: tara gum was used in a ratio of 1: 1 (weight ratio) in Example 2, and locust bean gum: carrageenan was used in a ratio of 1: 1 (weight ratio) in Examples 3 to 5 and Comparative Example 3. did. The pH values at the end of heating and melting in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 3 were all in the range of pH 5.3 to 5.7 by adding a pH adjuster after raising the temperature in the heating and melting step. ..

The cheese-like foods of Examples 2 to 5 and Comparative Example 3 were evaluated for their stringability. The results are shown in Table 5.

The viscosities in the heating and melting steps of Examples 2 to 5 and Comparative Example 3 were all within the preferable range. However, the cheese-like food of Comparative Example 3 containing no agar was not found to have stringability. On the other hand, in the cheese-like foods of Examples 2 to 5 containing agar, thread pulling property of 10 cm or more was observed, and some binding was observed when shredded, but the processing suitability was also within the allowable range. It was inside. In the cheese-like foods of Examples 2 to 5, no water separation or oil-off was observed even after cooling, and the cheese-like foods had high emulsification stability and could be stored for a long period of time. The type of thickening polysaccharide, the presence or absence of starch, and the presence or absence of sodium caseinate affected the degree of stringiness of cheese-like foods, but did not affect the presence or absence of stringiness.

[Test Example 3]
In the same manner as in Example 1, cheese-like foods having the formulations shown in Table 6 (Examples 6 to 8 and Comparative Example 4) were obtained.

Example 6 used the same thickening polysaccharide as in Example 1, and high-strength agar was used as the agar. Examples 7 to 8 used the same thickening polysaccharides as in Example 5, low-strength agar in Example 7, and high viscoelastic agar in Example 8. As the thickening polysaccharide of Comparative Example 4, xanthan gum: locust bean gum was used in a ratio of 1: 1 (weight ratio). The pH values at the end of heating and melting, in which a pH adjuster was added after the temperature was raised in the heating and melting step, were pH 5.45 in Example 6, pH 5.49 in Example 7, pH 5.46 in Example 8, and Comparative Example 4. The pH was 5.64.

The cheese-like foods of Examples 6 to 8 and Comparative Example 4 were evaluated for thread pullability and processing suitability. The results are shown in Table 7.

The viscosities in the heating and melting steps of Examples 6 to 8 and Comparative Example 4 were all within the preferable range. However, in the cheese-like food of Comparative Example 4 containing no agar, a string pulling property of 10 cm was observed, but severe binding was observed when shredded. On the other hand, in the cheese-like foods of Examples 6 to 8 containing agar, excellent thread pulling property of 30 cm was observed regardless of the type of agar, and the binding when shredded was slight. It was. In the cheese-like foods of Examples 6 to 8, no water separation or oil-off was observed even after cooling, and the cheese-like foods had high emulsification stability and could be stored for a long period of time.

[Test Example 4]
In the same manner as in Example 1, a cheese-like food having the formulations shown in Table 8 (Example 9) was obtained.

Example 9 used the same thickening polysaccharide as in Example 1, and the agar used the same low-intensity agar as in Example 7. The pH value of Example 9 at the end of heating and melting, in which a pH adjuster was added after raising the temperature in the heating and melting step, was in the range of pH 5.3 to 5.7.

For the cheese-like food of Example 9, thread pullability, processing suitability were evaluated, and hardness was measured. The viscosity in the heating and melting step of Example 9 was 350 P or less, which was within a preferable range. In addition, the cheese-like food of Example 9 was found to have a stringability of 10 cm or more, and although some binding was observed when shredded, the processing suitability was also within the permissible range. In addition, the cheese-like food of Example 9 was a cheese-like food that could be stored for a long period of time with high emulsification stability, with no water separation or oil off even after cooling. The hardness of the cheese-like food of Example 9 is 0.077 to 0.086J (measured values three times), and the average value is 0.081J. It was also preferable from the viewpoint.

The present invention has a viscosity in an appropriate range at the time of production by using rennet casein and agar without using cheese as a raw material, and has excellent thread pulling property and processing suitability capable of cutting into shreds. Providing cheese-like foods. Further, the method according to the present invention can provide a cheese-like food having high microbiological and physical preservation. As a result, cheese-like foods with excellent taste can be efficiently mass-produced without using raw milk or cheese, and it is inexpensive for various dishes and foods without being affected by soaring raw material costs such as raw milk. It is possible to provide a healthy cheese-like food that can impart the taste of cheese.

Claims

The process of mixing ingredients that contain rennet casein and agar but do not contain cheese,
The process of heating and melting the obtained mixture to adjust the pH,
A method for producing cheese-like foods including.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the pH adjuster is added after the mixture reaches 80 ° C. or higher.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pH is adjusted by adding lactic acid.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pH is adjusted to 5.3 to 5.7.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein rennet casein and agar are used in a ratio of 1: 0.05 to 0.2.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the raw material further contains an edible fat and oil and a molten salt.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rennet casein is 12% by weight or less.
The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein edible oils and fats are used in an amount of 25 to 40% by weight.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the raw material contains sodium caseinate.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the raw material further contains starch and / or a thickening polysaccharide.
The method according to claim 10, wherein the starch is 1 to 2% by weight.
The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the thickening polysaccharide is 0.1 to 1% by weight.
The method according to claim 12, wherein the thickening polysaccharide is a combination of two or more kinds of thickening polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, and carrageenan.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the mixing rate is less than 100 sec -1 .
A cheese-like food produced by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
The cheese-like food according to claim 15, which has a hardness of 0.05 to 0.11 J.
The cheese-like food according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the solid fat content (SFC) at 10 ° C. is 70% by weight.