JP2024158166A - Food composition and food emulsion composition - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a material which can be used as a substitute for egg white, specifically a material which can give a binding property and elasticity to a food.SOLUTION: A composition for food contains mannan, protein, and processed starch. The processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil and fat processed starch and crosslinked starch. An emulsified composition for food contains mannan, protein, processed starch, an edible oil and fat, and water. The processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil and fat processed starch and crosslinked starch.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

The present invention relates to a food composition, a food emulsion composition, a food, a method for producing a food emulsion composition, a method for producing a food, a method for imparting adhesive properties to a food, and a method for imparting elasticity to a food.

Traditionally, egg white has been widely used in various processed foods to improve the texture and quality of the food. In particular, egg white is commonly used in processed meat and seafood foods to give the food elasticity and improve the texture, as well as to bind ingredients together.

However, in recent years, there have been issues such as rising egg prices and unstable supplies, as well as restrictions on who can consume eggs due to the allergen content. Furthermore, in recent years, vegan diets, which do not consume animal products, have begun to become more popular due to people's growing interest in health and environmental issues. Vegan diets mainly use protein ingredients that are primarily made from soybeans, and binding the protein ingredients together is important in product design, but egg whites are an animal-derived ingredient and therefore cannot be used when producing vegan diets. As a result, various egg white substitutes are being investigated.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that when swelling-inhibiting starch and wheat protein are added to noodles, the noodles can be given an egg white-like texture and can be used as an egg white substitute. Patent Document 2 discloses that a coagulated egg white-like composition containing a heat-coagulable protein and starch can be used as a coagulated egg white substitute that has a texture similar to the egg white of a boiled egg.

JP 2016-67336 A JP 2004-147536 A

The present invention provides a material that can be used as an egg white substitute. Specifically, it provides a material that can impart adhesiveness and elasticity to foods.

As a result of intensive research, the inventors discovered that by including mannan, protein, and a specific modified starch, it can be used as an egg white substitute, specifically, it can impart binding properties and elasticity to foods, and thus completed the present invention.

That is, according to the present invention, there are provided a food composition, a food emulsion composition, a food, a method for producing a food emulsion composition, a method for producing a food, a method for imparting binding properties to a food, and a method for imparting elasticity to a food.
[1] A food composition containing mannan, protein, and modified starch,
The food composition, wherein the processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch.
[2] The food composition according to [1], further comprising the following component (A):
Component (A): A powdery or granular material satisfying the following conditions (1) to (4): (1) a starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) a starch content of 5% by mass or more of degraded starch is contained in an amount of 3% by ^mass or more and 45% by mass or less, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 ^{x 103} to 5 x 104 to 3 x 104 to 3 x 104 to 3 x 104 to 3 x 104 to 3 x 103 ...
[4] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the mannan content is 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less.
[5] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [4], which is used as an egg white substitute.
[6] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [5], which is used to impart binding properties to food.
[7] The food composition according to any one of [1] to [6], which is used to impart elasticity to food.
[8] A food emulsion composition comprising mannan, protein, modified starch, edible oil and fat, and water,
The food emulsion composition, wherein the processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch.
[9] A food product comprising the food composition according to any one of [1] to [7] or the food emulsion composition according to [8].
[10] A method for producing a food emulsion composition containing mannan, protein, modified starch, edible oil and fat, and water, comprising:
The processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch,
A method for producing an emulsion composition for food, comprising a step of mixing and emulsifying the mannan, the protein, the processed starch, the edible oil/fat, and the water.
[11] A step of obtaining a food emulsion composition by the production method according to [10];
A method for producing a food product, comprising the step of mixing the food emulsion composition with a food ingredient.
[12] A method for imparting adhesiveness to food, comprising blending the food composition according to any one of [1] to [7] or the food emulsion composition according to [8] with food.
[13] A method for imparting elasticity to a food product, comprising blending the food composition according to any one of [1] to [7] or the food emulsion composition according to [8] into the food product.

The present invention provides a material that can be used as an egg white substitute. Specifically, it provides a material that can impart adhesiveness and elasticity to foods.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, unless otherwise specified, "to" in a numerical range indicates from above to below, and both ends of the range are included. In addition, when an upper limit and a lower limit of a numerical range are indicated in this specification, the upper limit and the lower limit can be appropriately combined, and the numerical range obtained by combining them is also considered to be disclosed.

[1. Food composition and its manufacturing method]
The food composition in this embodiment contains mannan, protein, and processed starch. The food composition is preferably in a powdery or granular form. The powdery or granular form refers to a powder or granular form. Each component will be described below.

(Mannan)
The mannan in this embodiment is a polysaccharide mainly composed of mannose. Examples of the mannan include glucomannan composed of glucose and mannose, galactomannan composed of galactose and mannose, and mannan derived from plants such as Tsukuneimo mannan and Yam mannan. From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food, the mannan is preferably glucomannan, and more preferably glucomannan derived from Konjac root.

The content of mannan in the food composition is, in terms of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food, preferably 0.01 or more, more preferably 0.05 or more, even more preferably 0.08 or more, even more preferably 0.1 or more, and even more preferably 0.12 or more, in terms of mass ratio relative to the content of the processed starch described below, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. Also, from the same viewpoint, it is preferably 5 or less, more preferably 3 or less, even more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably 0.5 or less, and even more preferably 0.3 or less.

The content of mannan in the food composition is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 6% by mass or more, and even more preferably 7% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less.

(protein)
The protein in this embodiment is a protein other than egg protein, and examples thereof include plant proteins and animal proteins. Examples of plant proteins include wheat proteins such as gluten, soybean proteins, corn proteins, pea proteins, rice proteins, broad bean proteins, chickpea proteins, mung bean proteins, and chia seed proteins. Examples of animal proteins include milk proteins such as whey proteins and casein, blood proteins such as plasma proteins and blood cell proteins, muscle proteins such as meat proteins and fish proteins, gelatin, and collagen. From the viewpoint of use as a vegan food and of imparting binding properties and elasticity to foods, the protein in this embodiment is preferably a plant protein, more preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of soybean proteins, pea proteins, and wheat proteins, and even more preferably soybean proteins.

The protein in this embodiment may be blended into the food composition as the aforementioned protein itself, or may be blended into the food composition in the form of a protein-containing component (hereinafter also referred to as a "protein-containing material") such as soy milk, soy flour, tofu, milk, fresh cream, or skim milk powder.

From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to food, the protein content in the food composition is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 6% by mass or more, and even more preferably 8% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 70% by mass or less, more preferably 60% by mass or less, even more preferably 50% by mass or less, even more preferably 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 35% by mass or less. When it is blended as a protein-containing material, the above-mentioned protein content is a value converted into the protein amount. When protein is contained in the oil-processed starch described below, the protein in the oil-processed starch is not included in the above-mentioned protein content.

(modified starch)
The processed starch in this embodiment is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch. The processed starch excludes component (A) described below. From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to food, the processed starch is preferably oil- or fat-processed starch, and more preferably contains two types of starch, oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch.

(Oil-modified starch)
The oil- or fat-processed starch in this embodiment refers to starch produced through a process including operations of adding an edible oil or fat to a raw material starch, mixing, and heating.

Examples of raw starches used for oil-processed starches include corn starches such as high amylose corn starch, corn starch, and waxy corn starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, high amylose wheat starch, rice starch, bean starches such as mung bean starch and pea starch, sago palm starch, and processed starches obtained by chemically, physically, or enzymatically processing these starches. Examples of chemical processing include acid treatment, alkali treatment, oxidation treatment, esterification treatment such as acetylation, etherification treatment such as hydroxypropylation, and crosslinking treatment. Examples of physical processing include heat treatment, gelatinization treatment, moist heat treatment, ball mill treatment, and fine pulverization treatment. Examples of enzymatic processing include treatment using α-amylase treatment. Such treatments may be performed by one type alone, or by a combination of two or more types. From the viewpoint of imparting adhesiveness and elasticity to foods, the raw starch is preferably one or more types selected from the group consisting of corn starch, tapioca starch, and modified starches thereof, and more preferably one or more types selected from the group consisting of phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch, acetylated tapioca starch, and corn starch.

From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to foods, the content of raw starch in the oil-processed starch is preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 84% by mass or more, even more preferably 87% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the oil-processed starch. From the same viewpoint, the content of raw starch in the oil-processed starch is less than 100% by mass, preferably 99.9% by mass or less, more preferably 99.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 99.0% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the oil-processed starch.

Specific examples of edible fats and oils used in oil-processed starch include soybean oil, safflower oil such as high linoleic safflower oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, perilla oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, rice oil, palm oil, sesame oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, etc. From the viewpoint of workability, liquid oils are preferably used as edible fats and oils, and one or more liquid oils selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, high linoleic safflower oil, linseed oil, and perilla oil are more preferable. In addition, it is more preferable to use fats and oils with an iodine value of 100 or more as edible fats and oils, and it is even more preferable to use fats and oils with an iodine value of 135 or more. Specific examples of fats and oils with an iodine value of 135 or more include high linoleic safflower oil, linseed oil, and perilla oil. There is no upper limit to the iodine value of edible fats and oils, but it is, for example, 250 or less.

The content of edible oils and fats in the oil-processed starch is preferably 0.005 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.01 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 0.02 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.05 parts by mass or more, when the total amount of the raw starch is 100 parts by mass, from the viewpoint of more reliably obtaining the modification effect of the raw starch. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 5 parts by mass or less, more preferably 4 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 2 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 1 part by mass or less.

Next, a method for producing the oil- or fat-processed starch in this embodiment will be described.
The oil- or fat-processed starch can be obtained by a production method including, for example, the following steps using the above-mentioned raw starch, edible oil or fat, and other components as appropriate.
(First step) mixing a raw starch and an edible fat or oil to prepare a composition containing them, and (Second step) heat treating the composition obtained in the first step.

The heat treatment in the second step is preferably performed at 130°C or less, more preferably at 120°C or less, even more preferably at 105°C or less, and even more preferably at 90°C or less. There is no lower limit to the heating temperature, but from the viewpoint of appropriately shortening the aging period and improving productivity, it is, for example, 40°C or more, preferably 45°C or more, and more preferably 55°C or more. The period of the heat treatment is appropriately set according to the state of the oil-processed starch obtained and the heating temperature. The heating period is, for example, 0.5 hours or more, preferably 5 hours or more, more preferably 6 hours or more, and even more preferably 24 hours or more. The upper limit of the heating period is, for example, 25 days or less, preferably 20 days or less, and more preferably 18 days or less.

(Crosslinked Starch)
The crosslinked starch in this embodiment is obtained by subjecting raw starch to crosslinking treatment. Examples of raw starch used for crosslinked starch include corn starch such as corn starch, waxy corn starch, high amylose corn starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, high amylose wheat starch, rice starch, soybean starch, etc., and these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The raw starch is preferably one or more selected from tapioca starch, wheat starch, corn starch, and potato starch, and more preferably tapioca starch. The crosslinked starch is preferably phosphate crosslinked starch, more preferably phosphate crosslinked tapioca starch.

The cross-linking treatment can be carried out by a conventional method, and a commercially available product can be used as the cross-linked starch. In addition to the cross-linking treatment, the cross-linked starch may be subjected to other chemical treatments, physical treatments, enzymatic treatments, etc. Examples of such chemical treatments include acid treatment, alkali treatment, oxidation treatment, esterification treatment such as acetylation, and etherification treatment such as hydroxypropylation; examples of physical treatments include oil and fat processing, heat treatment, gelatinization treatment, moist heat treatment, ball mill treatment, and fine grinding treatment. One type of such treatment may be carried out alone, or two or more types of treatments may be carried out in combination.

The content of the processed starch in the food composition is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, even more preferably 40% by mass or more, and even more preferably 45% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 75% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or less.

The content of the oil-processed starch in the food composition is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 15% by mass or more, even more preferably 20% by mass or more, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 75% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or less.

The content of crosslinked starch in the food composition is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 15% by mass or more, even more preferably 18% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 70% by mass or less, and even more preferably 60% by mass or less.

The food composition in this embodiment preferably further contains the following component (A).
(Component (A))
In this embodiment, the component (A) is a powder or granular material that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4).
(1) A starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) A starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and containing 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of a degraded starch, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x ¹⁰⁴ or less; (3) A cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 or more and 20 or less; (4) A content of a fraction that is under the sieve having a mesh size of 3.35 mm and over the sieve having a mesh size of 0.038 mm is 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.

Regarding condition (1), component (A) contains 75% by mass or more of starch relative to the total amount of component (A), preferably 80% by mass or more, and more preferably 85% by mass or more. There is no upper limit to the amount of starch contained in component (A), and the amount is 100% by mass or less relative to the total amount of component (A), but it may be 99.5% by mass or less, 99% by mass or less, etc., depending on the properties of the composition.

In component (A), the starch is, for example, food starch, and can be of various origins. For example, the starch can be one or more appropriately selected from starches such as corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, rice starch, and soybean starch; and processed starches obtained by chemically, physically, or enzymatically processing these starches. From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to food, the starch is preferably one or more selected from tapioca starch, corn starch, rice starch, and soybean starch, and more preferably one or more selected from tapioca starch, corn starch, and soybean starch. From the same viewpoint, the origin of the starch is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of cassava, corn, rice, and soybean.

Regarding the condition (2), the component (A) specifically contains a low molecular weight starch and another starch. First, the low molecular weight starch will be described.
The amylose content in the raw starch for the low molecular weight starch is 5% by mass or more, preferably 12% by mass or more, more preferably 22% by mass or more, even more preferably 40% by mass or more, even more preferably 45% by mass or more, even more preferably 55% by mass or more, and even more preferably 65% by mass or more. There is no upper limit for the amylose content in the raw starch for the low molecular weight starch, and it is 100% by mass or less, preferably 90% by mass or less, and more preferably 80% by mass or less.

As the starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, which is the raw material for low molecular weight starch, one or more types selected from the group consisting of high amylose corn starch, corn starch such as corn starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, high amylose wheat starch, rice starch, soybean starch, and processed starches obtained by chemically, physically, or enzymatically processing these raw materials can be used. The starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more is preferably one or more types selected from high amylose corn starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, and soybean starch, and more preferably high amylose corn starch. As the high amylose corn starch, for example, one having an amylose content of 40% by mass or more is available. The starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more is more preferably corn starch having an amylose content of 40% by mass or more.

The content of low molecular weight starch in component (A) is 3% by mass or more, preferably 8% by mass or more, and more preferably 13% by mass or more. Also, it is 45% by mass or less, preferably 35% by mass or less, and more preferably 25% by mass or less.

The peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is 3 × 10 ³ or more, and preferably 8 × 10 ³ or more. Also, it is 5 × 10 ⁴ or less, preferably 3 × 10 ⁴ or less, and more preferably 1.5 × 10 ⁴ or less. The method for measuring the peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch will be described in the Examples section.

Here, the low molecular weight starch is preferably one or more types selected from the group consisting of acid-treated starch, oxidized starch, and enzyme-treated starch, from the viewpoint of excellent production stability, and more preferably acid-treated starch.

The conditions for the acid treatment when obtaining the acid-treated starch are not limited, but for example, the treatment can be carried out as follows.
First, the raw material starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and water are charged into a reactor, and then acid is further charged. Alternatively, acid water in which an inorganic acid has been dissolved in advance and the raw material starch are charged into the reactor. From the viewpoint of carrying out the acid treatment more stably, it is desirable that the total amount of starch during the reaction is in a state of being homogeneously dispersed in the aqueous phase or in a slurried state. For this purpose, the concentration of the starch slurry in the acid treatment is adjusted to be, for example, in the range of 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. If the slurry concentration is too high, the viscosity of the slurry increases, and it may become difficult to stir the slurry uniformly.

Specific examples of acids used in acid treatment include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, and any acid can be used regardless of type or purity.

Regarding the acid treatment reaction conditions, for example, from the viewpoint of stably obtaining acid-treated starch, the inorganic acid concentration during the acid treatment is preferably 0.05 normality (N) or more and 4N or less, more preferably 0.1N or more and 4N or less, and even more preferably 0.2N or more and 3N or less. From the same viewpoint, the reaction temperature is preferably 30°C or more and 70°C or less, more preferably 35°C or more and 70°C or less, and even more preferably 35°C or more and 65°C or less, and from the same viewpoint, the reaction time is preferably 0.5 hours or more and 120 hours or less, more preferably 1 hour or more and 72 hours or less, and even more preferably 1 hour or more and 48 hours or less.

The starch other than the low molecular weight starch in component (A) may be selected from the starches described above. Preferably, the starch other than the low molecular weight starch in component (A) is one or more selected from the group consisting of corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, soybean starch, and modified starches thereof.

Regarding condition (3), the cold water swelling degree of component (A) at 25°C is 5 or more, preferably 6 or more, and more preferably 6.5 or more. It is also 40 or less, preferably 35 or less, more preferably 20 or less, even more preferably 17 or less, even more preferably 13 or less, and even more preferably 12 or less. The method for measuring the cold water swelling degree of component (A) is described in the Examples section.

Regarding condition (4), the content of the fraction in component (A) that is under the sieve with a mesh size of 3.35 mm and over the sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm is 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 80% by mass or more, even more preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and is, for example, 100% by mass or less, based on the total amount of component (A).

The content of the fraction in component (A) that is under the sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm and over the sieve with a mesh size of 0.075 mm is preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, even more preferably 40% by mass or more, even more preferably 50% by mass or more, even more preferably 60% by mass or more, and is, for example, 100% by mass or less, preferably 90% by mass or less.

The content of the fraction in component (A) that is under the sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm and over the sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, even more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 25% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, and is, for example, 100% by mass or less.

The content of component (A) in the food composition is, from the viewpoint of imparting adhesiveness and elasticity to the food, preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 8% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, and even more preferably 15% by mass or more, based on the entire food composition. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 45% by mass or less, even more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or less.

The food composition of this embodiment may contain ingredients other than those mentioned above. Specific examples of such ingredients include salts such as magnesium salts, such as magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate, potassium salts, such as potassium chloride, calcium salts, such as calcium chloride, calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, and sodium salts, such as sodium chloride (table salt); coagulants, such as glucono-delta-lactone; sugars, such as lactose; unprocessed starch; seasonings; colorants; emulsifiers, and the like. The ingredients are preferably in powder or granular form.

The method for producing a food composition in this embodiment includes, for example, a step of mixing the mannan, the protein, and the modified starch. There is no limitation on the mixing method in this step.

The food composition of the present embodiment is suitably used as an egg white substitute.
In addition, the food composition in this embodiment is preferably used to impart adhesiveness to food. Here, adhesiveness refers to the property of binding ingredients together to maintain the shape of the food, and in the case of a food that is to be cooked, the food refers not only to the food after cooking (finished food) but also to the food before cooking (unfinished food). By imparting adhesiveness to the food, the moldability and shape retention of the food can be improved.
Furthermore, the food composition of the present embodiment is preferably used to impart elasticity to food. Here, elasticity refers to the property of generating a force that tends to repel pressure when pressure is applied to the food. By imparting elasticity to the food, a food with a favorable texture can be obtained.

Furthermore, since the food composition in this embodiment retains an emulsifying effect, it is suitable for use in preparing the food emulsion composition described below.

[2. Food emulsion composition and its manufacturing method]
The food emulsion composition in this embodiment contains mannan, protein, processed starch, edible oil and fat, and water. The mannan, protein, and processed starch are as described in [1. Food composition and its manufacturing method], so the description will be omitted. The food emulsion composition may have fluidity or may be solid. The emulsion type of the food emulsion composition may be either oil-in-water type or water-in-oil type, but is preferably oil-in-water type.

The content of mannan in the food emulsion composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.7% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2.5% by mass or less.

The protein content in the food emulsion composition is, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food, preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.8% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 9% by mass or less.

The content of the processed starch in the food emulsion composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, even more preferably 22% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, and even more preferably 18% by mass or less.

The content of the oil-processed starch in the food emulsion composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 18% by mass or less, and even more preferably 15% by mass or less.

The content of crosslinked starch in the food emulsion composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, the content is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 8% by mass or less.

(Edible oils and fats)
The edible oils and fats in this embodiment are not limited as long as they are edible oils, and examples thereof include vegetable oils and fats such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, corn oil, olive oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, rice oil, peanut oil, cacao butter, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, etc.; animal oils and fats such as beef tallow, lard, milk fat, chicken oil, fish oil, etc.; and synthetic oils and fats such as medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides. In addition, processed oils and fats obtained by fractionating, hydrogenating, transesterifying, etc., of these oils and fats may be used. In addition, the edible oils and fats may be oils and fats treated with a flavoring agent such as vegetables, or oils and fats flavored with a flavoring agent such as a flavor, a seasoning, or a natural material. In addition, the edible oils and fats may contain components that are usually blended in edible oils and fats within a range that does not impair the effects of the invention. For example, antioxidants such as tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, rosemary extract, tea extract, and licorice extract; metal chelating agents such as citric acid and malic acid; vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin D; silicones; fragrances; and emulsifiers.

From the viewpoint of imparting adhesiveness and elasticity to foods, the melting point of edible fats and oils is preferably 30°C or less, more preferably 20°C or less, even more preferably 10°C or less, even more preferably 5°C or less, and even more preferably 0°C or less. The melting point is a value measured according to "2.2.4.2-1996 Melting Point (Slip Melting Point)" of the Standard Methods for Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials (Japan Oil Chemists' Society).

The content of edible oils and fats in the food emulsion composition is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 8% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 12% by mass or more, and even more preferably 14% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. The content of edible oils and fats in the food emulsion composition refers to the combined amount of edible oils and fats blended in the process of obtaining the emulsion composition and the oils and fats contained in other blended ingredients (total oil and fat content) (however, the content of edible oils and fats in the oil-processed starch described above is excluded).

(water)
The water in the food emulsion composition of the present embodiment may be blended in as ordinary water, or may be blended in as a liquid component containing water, such as an aqueous solution of flavors such as milk, soy milk, fruit juice, vegetable juice, or coffee powder.

From the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to food, the water content in the food emulsion composition is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, even more preferably 40% by mass or more, and even more preferably 50% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition. From the same viewpoint, the water content is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 85% by mass or less, even more preferably 80% by mass or less, and even more preferably 75% by mass or less. The water content in the food emulsion composition refers to the combined amount (total water content) of water blended in the process of obtaining the emulsion composition and water contained in other blended ingredients.

The water content in the food emulsion composition is, from the viewpoint of imparting binding properties and elasticity to the food, preferably 1 or more, more preferably 1.5 or more, even more preferably 2 or more, even more preferably 2.5 or more, and even more preferably 2.7 or more, in terms of mass ratio relative to the edible oil or fat content. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 20 or less, more preferably 10 or less, even more preferably 8 or less, even more preferably 6 or less, and even more preferably 5 or less.

The food emulsion composition in this embodiment preferably further contains component (A). The component (A) is as described in [1. Food composition and its production method], and therefore description thereof will be omitted.
The content of component (A) in the food emulsion composition is, from the viewpoint of imparting binding property and elasticity to the food, preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, based on the entire food emulsion composition. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, even more preferably 5% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 2% by mass or less.

The food emulsion composition of this embodiment may contain ingredients other than those mentioned above. Specific examples of such ingredients include salts such as magnesium salts, such as magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate, potassium salts, such as potassium chloride, calcium salts, such as calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, and calcium sulfate, and sodium salts, such as sodium chloride (table salt); coagulants, such as glucono-delta-lactone; sugars, such as lactose; unprocessed starch; seasonings; colorants; emulsifiers, and the like.

The method for producing a food emulsion composition in this embodiment includes a step of mixing and emulsifying the mannan, the protein, the modified starch, the edible oil and fat, and the water.

There is no limitation on the emulsification method in the emulsification step, and it may be appropriately selected depending on the type of food to which the food emulsion composition is applied. For example, a method of mixing mannan, protein, and processed starch, then adding edible oil and water and mixing to emulsify can be mentioned. Here, it is preferable that the water added is water that has been cooled in advance as ice water. If the emulsification device at this time is a hand mixer, mixing is performed for, for example, 30 seconds to 5 minutes, preferably 1 to 3 minutes. The temperature during mixing can be, for example, about 2 to 10°C. However, the optimal emulsification conditions vary depending on the stirring speed, the shape of the stirring blade, the shape of the stirring vessel, and the charged weight of each raw material, so it is not limited to the above-mentioned method.

The food emulsion composition of the present embodiment is suitably used as an egg white substitute.
The food emulsion composition of the present embodiment is preferably used to impart adhesiveness to food. The adhesiveness here is as described in [1. Food composition and its manufacturing method]. By imparting adhesiveness to food, the moldability and shape retention of the food can be improved.
Furthermore, the food emulsion composition of the present embodiment is preferably used to impart elasticity to food. Here, the elasticity is as described in [1. Food composition and its manufacturing method]. By imparting elasticity to food, food with a preferable texture can be obtained.

[3. Food and its manufacturing method]
The food in this embodiment includes the above-mentioned food composition or food emulsion composition. Specific examples of food include processed meat food, processed meat-like food (referring to processed food obtained by replacing meat in processed meat food with vegetable raw materials), processed fishery food, processed fishery-like food (referring to processed food obtained by replacing marine products in processed fishery food with vegetable raw materials), bakery food, chilled dessert, noodles, egg-like processed food, etc. The food is preferably one selected from the group consisting of processed meat food, processed meat-like food, processed fishery food, processed fishery-like food, and egg-like processed food, and more preferably one selected from the group consisting of processed meat food, processed meat-like food, processed fishery food, and processed fishery-like food.

Specific examples of processed meat foods or meat-like processed foods include nuggets such as chicken nuggets; meat pastes such as hamburger steaks, meatballs, sausages, shumai, and gyoza; meat fillings such as meat buns and Chinese steamed buns; and meat-like processed foods of these foods. The processed meat foods or meat-like processed foods are preferably one selected from the group consisting of hamburger steaks, sausages, nuggets, and meat-like processed foods of these foods. Specific examples of meat in processed meat foods include at least one selected from the group consisting of mammalian meat such as beef, pig, sheep, and goat; and avian meat represented by poultry such as chicken, duck, turkey, goose, and wild goat. At least one selected from the group consisting of chicken meat, pork, and beef is preferred. The meat is preferably in the form of mince, such as ground meat or paste, or in the form of a paste.

Specific examples of seafood processed foods or seafood-like processed foods include seafood paste products such as fish cakes, kamaboko, fish sausages, and hanpen, fried foods such as shrimp cutlets, and seafood-like processed foods of these foods. The seafood processed foods or seafood-like processed foods are preferably one selected from the group consisting of seafood paste products such as kamaboko, fish cakes, fish sausages, and hanpen, and seafood-like processed foods of these foods. Specific examples of marine products that are the subject of processed marine foods include fish such as tuna, mackerel, Alaska pollock, hairtail, lizardfish, sardine, pacific saury, mackerel, eel, salmon, horse mackerel, conger eel, monkfish, bonito, Spanish mackerel, herring, yellowtail, cod, sea bream, rockfish, southern cod, white cod, golden spotted bream, alfonsino, threadfin bream, Atka mackerel, blue shark, siberian smelt, mako shark, redfish, goldfinch, plaice, white croaker, grebe, marlin, Japanese blue marlin, and gizzard shad; shellfish such as scallops; and cephalopods such as squid and octopus. The form of the marine products is preferably minced meat, paste, or the like.

The food product of this embodiment may contain ingredients other than those mentioned above. Specific examples of such ingredients include seasonings, spices, flavorings, preservatives, acidulants, thickeners, gelling agents, antioxidants, and ingredients of vegetables such as onions, carrots, green peppers, and cabbage.

The content of the food composition in the food may be selected appropriately depending on the type of food, but from the viewpoint of imparting adhesiveness and elasticity to the food, it is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, based on the total weight of the food. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less.

The content of the food emulsion composition in the food may be appropriately selected depending on the type of food, but from the viewpoint of imparting adhesiveness and elasticity to the food, it is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 1.8% by mass or more, based on the total weight of the food. From the same viewpoint, it is preferably 99% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 70% by mass or less, even more preferably 60% by mass or less, and even more preferably 50% by mass or less.

The method for producing a food product in this embodiment includes a step of obtaining a food emulsion composition by the method for producing a food emulsion composition in this embodiment described above, and a step of mixing the obtained food emulsion composition with food ingredients. There are no limitations on the mixing method, and it may be appropriately selected depending on the desired food product.

In addition, after the step of obtaining the food emulsion composition, a step of storing the food emulsion composition may be included before the step of mixing the food emulsion composition with ingredients. There are no restrictions on the storage conditions, but the food emulsion composition can be stored frozen at a temperature of -100°C or higher and lower than 0°C, or refrigerated at a temperature of 0°C or higher and 15°C or lower.

Furthermore, after the step of mixing the food emulsion composition with the food ingredient, a step of cooking the resulting mixture may be included. Specific examples of cooking include cooking in an oven, etc.; microwave cooking; cooking in a steam convection oven, etc.; cooking in a frying pan or on a hot plate lightly coated with oil; deep-frying, etc.

[4. Method for imparting adhesiveness to food and method for imparting elasticity to food]
In this embodiment, the food composition or food emulsion composition described above can be blended with food to impart adhesiveness to the food. The adhesiveness here is as described in [1. Food composition and its manufacturing method]. By imparting adhesiveness to the food, the moldability and shape retention of the food are improved.
In this embodiment, the food composition or food emulsion composition described above can be blended into a food to impart elasticity to the food. Here, the elasticity is as described in [1. Food composition and its manufacturing method]. By imparting elasticity to the food, a food with a preferable texture can be obtained.

In addition, in this embodiment, by incorporating the above-mentioned food composition or food emulsion composition into food, the baking yield of the food can be improved.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

The main raw materials used were as follows:
1. Raw material for producing food composition or food emulsion composition (mannan)
・Mannan: "Ultramannan G5" (glucomannan derived from konjac yam) manufactured by Ina Food Industry Co., Ltd.
(protein)
Powdered soy protein 1: "Profam 781" manufactured by ADM Japan Co., Ltd. (protein content 90% or more by mass)
Powdered soy protein 2: Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. "New Fujipro SEH" (protein content 87% or more by mass)
(Cross-linked starch, fat-processed starch)
・Phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch 1: "Actobody TP-4W" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
・ Phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch 2: "Actobody TP-1" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
Oil-processed starch 1: Oil-processed starch obtained in Production Example 3 described later (oil-processed phosphate-crosslinked tapioca starch)
・Oil-processed starch 2: "Nerikomi Starch K-1" (oil-processed acetylated tapioca starch) manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.
・Oil-processed starch 3: "HB-310" (oil-processed cornstarch) manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
(Component (A))
Powdery/granular material 1: Powdery/granular material 1 obtained in Production Example 2 described below
(Edible oils and fats)
Rapeseed oil: "AJINOMOTO smooth canola oil" (melting point: 0°C or less) manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
・ Seasoning oil: "JOYL PRO Grill Oil" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. (melting point: 0°C or less)
(others)
・Salt: "Everflow EF40" manufactured by Nihonkaisui Co., Ltd.

2. Other ingredients: Dried egg white powder: "Dried egg white type K" manufactured by Kewpie Egg Corporation
・Beet coloring: "Beet Powder" manufactured by Maruha Bussan Co., Ltd.
- Granular soy protein: "Plantext M-14" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
・Black Pepper: "Black Pepper" made by Gaban Co., Ltd.
・Glucose: "Glucose" manufactured by Kurita Bussan Co., Ltd.
・Umami seasoning: "Ajinomoto" manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
・Caramel coloring: "Caramel" manufactured by Kosei Co., Ltd.
・Shortening 1: In-house preparation (Slip melting point: 35-41°C)
・Shortening 2: In-house preparation (Slip melting point: 34-40°C)
・ Cylindrical fat: Produced by the same method as fat composition 13 described in WO 2020/004058 ・ Potato starch: "Gelcol BP-200" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.
・Dashi stock: "Dashi stock" made by Yamaki Co., Ltd.

<Production of component (A)>
(Production Example 1) Production of low molecular weight starch Acid-treated high amylose cornstarch was produced as low molecular weight starch to be used as the raw material of powdery and granular material 1.
High amylose cornstarch ("HS-7" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd., amylose content 70% by mass) was suspended in water to prepare a 35.6% (w/w) slurry, which was then heated to 50°C. A 4.25N aqueous hydrochloric acid solution was added thereto with stirring in an amount of 1/9 times the amount of the slurry by mass to initiate the reaction. After reacting for 16 hours, the mixture was neutralized with 3% NaOH, washed with water, dehydrated, and dried to obtain acid-treated high amylose cornstarch.
The peak molecular weight of the resulting acid-treated high amylose cornstarch was measured by the method described below and was found to be 1.2×10 ⁴ .

(Method of Measuring Peak Molecular Weight)
The peak molecular weight was measured using an HPLC unit manufactured by Tosoh Corporation (pump DP-8020, RI detector RS-8021, degasser SD-8022).
(1) The sample was pulverized, and the fraction that passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm according to JIS-Z8801-1 was collected. The collected fraction was suspended in a mobile phase to a concentration of 1 mg/mL, and the suspension was heated at 100° C. for 3 minutes to completely dissolve. Filtration was performed using a 0.45 μm filter (manufactured by ADVANTEC, DISMIC-25HP PTFE 0.45 μm), and the filtrate was used as the analytical sample.
(2) The molecular weight was measured under the following analytical conditions.
Column: TSKgel α-M (7.8 mmφ, 30 cm) (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation) 2 columns Flow rate: 0.5 mL/min
Mobile phase: 90% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide solution containing 5 mM sodium nitrate Column temperature: 40°C
Analysis volume: 0.2 mL
(3) Detector data was collected using software (Multistation GPC-8020 model II data collection ver. 5.70, manufactured by Tosoh Corporation), and molecular weight peaks were calculated.
For the calibration curve, pullulan with a known molecular weight (Shodex Standard P-82, Showa Denko KK) was used.

(Method for measuring cold water swelling degree)
(1) The sample was dried by heating at 125° C. using a moisture meter (Kensei Kogyo Co., Ltd., model number MX-50) to measure the moisture content, and the amount of dry matter was calculated from the obtained moisture value.
(2) 1 g of the sample, calculated as the amount of dry substance, was dispersed in 50 mL of water at 25°C, and the dispersion was gently stirred in a thermostatic bath at 25°C for 30 minutes. The dispersion was then centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes (centrifuge: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd., Hitachi tabletop centrifuge CT6E type; rotor: T4SS type swing rotor; adapter: 50TC x 2S adapter) to separate the sample into a precipitate layer and a supernatant layer.
(3) The supernatant layer was removed, and the mass of the precipitate layer was measured and designated as B (g).
(4) The mass of the precipitate layer when it was dried (105° C., constant weight) was defined as C (g).
(5) The value obtained by dividing B by C was determined as the degree of cold water swelling.

(Production Example 2) Production of Powdery Granular Material 1 79% by mass of corn starch, 20% by mass of the acid-treated high amylose corn starch obtained in Production Example 1, and 1% by mass of calcium carbonate were mixed in a bag until sufficiently uniform. The mixture was pressurized and heated using a twin-screw extruder (KEI-45 manufactured by Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd.). The treatment conditions were as follows.
Raw material supply: 450g/min Hydration: 17% by mass
Barrel temperature: 50°C, 70°C and 100°C from the raw material inlet to the outlet
Outlet temperature: 100-110℃
Screw rotation speed: 250 rpm
The heated gelatinized material thus obtained by the extruder treatment was dried at 110° C. to adjust the moisture content to 10% by mass.
Next, the dried heat-gelatinized material was pulverized with a benchtop cutter pulverizer and then sieved with a JIS-Z8801-1 sieve. The sieved heat-gelatinized material was mixed in a predetermined blending ratio to prepare powdery or granular material 1 having the particle size distribution shown in Table 1. The cold water swelling degree of the powdery or granular material at 25° C. measured by the above-mentioned method is also shown in Table 1.

(Production Example 3) Production of oil- or fat-processed starch 1 100 parts by mass of phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch (swelling degree 18.4, "Actobody TP-1" manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) was mixed with 0.1 parts by mass of high linol safflower oil, 0.05 parts by mass of diglycerol monooleate, and 0.4 parts by mass of a 25% aqueous sodium carbonate solution (0.1 parts by mass as sodium carbonate equivalent) obtained by adding 30 parts by mass of water to 10 parts by mass of sodium carbonate to completely dissolve the sodium carbonate, and mixed uniformly for 3 minutes at 3000 rpm in a mixer (Super Mixer, manufactured by Kawata Co., Ltd.) to obtain a mixture (water content 14.8%). This mixture was heated at 70°C for 10 days in a tray dryer to obtain oil- or fat-processed starch 1.

<Test Example 1>
Food emulsion compositions of each Example were prepared using the formulations shown in Table 2 and the following procedures, and then evaluated.

(1) The raw materials listed in Table 2 except for rapeseed oil and water were mixed.
(2) After adding ice to the water to cool it, the amount of water shown in Table 2 was weighed out.
(3) Rapeseed oil and the cooled water from (2) were added to (1) above, and the mixture was mixed and emulsified for about 2 minutes using a hand mixer (Panasonic's "Hand Mixer MK-H4-W") to obtain a food emulsion composition (oil-in-water type).
(4) The emulsion composition of (3) above was molded into a round shape so that the weight was about 70 g, and baked for 10 minutes in a steam convection oven (RATIONAL's "CombiMaster Plus XS", heating conditions: 200°C, hot mode).

A panel of three experts evaluated the moldability and shape retention of the food emulsion composition using the following criteria, with a score of 3 or higher being considered a pass. The scores were determined by consensus of all experts on the panel. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

(Moldability) The moldability of the emulsion composition before baking was evaluated as follows: 5 points: Very easy to mold 4 points: Easy to mold 3 points: Moldable without any problems 2 points: Almost impossible to mold 1 point: Cannot be molded at all (Shape retention) The shape retention of the emulsion composition after baking was evaluated as follows: 5 points: Shape is maintained 4 points: Shape is almost maintained 3 points: Slightly distorted, but shape is barely maintained 2 points: Shape is distorted 1 point: Shape is very distorted

As a result, as shown in Table 2, the moldability and shape retention of the food emulsion composition of each Example were good. In particular, the moldability and shape retention of Example 1-1 were good.

<Test Example 2>
Soybean hamburgers were prepared using the compositions shown in Tables 3 and 4 according to the following procedure and evaluated.

A. Production of food emulsion composition (for each example only)
(1) The ingredients listed in Table 3 were mixed to prepare food compositions of Preparation Examples 1 to 5.
(2) After adding ice to the water to cool it, the amount of water (for the emulsion composition) shown in Table 4 was weighed out.
(3) The rapeseed oil, seasoning oil, and cooled water (for emulsified composition) (2) described above were added to the above (1) and emulsified by mixing for about 2 minutes with a hand mixer ("Hand Mixer MK-H4-W" manufactured by Panasonic) to obtain a food emulsion composition (oil-in-water type).

B. Production of Soybean Hamburger (1) The other ingredients shown in Table 4 were weighed out and mixed in a bowl.
(2) The emulsion composition prepared in A. above was added to (1) above and mixed by hand (this step was omitted for Control Example 2).
(3) 80 g of the above (2) was weighed out and molded into soybean hamburger steaks using a ring mold.
(4) The molded soybean hamburger steak was quickly frozen at -40°C for 30 minutes and then stored in a frozen state at -18°C for 24 hours.
(5) After thawing the frozen soybean hamburger, it was baked for 14 minutes in a steam convection oven (RATIONAL's "CombiMaster Plus XS", heating conditions: 180°C, oven mode, medium wind speed).

A panel of five experts evaluated the moldability, shape retention, and texture (elasticity) of the soy hamburger steaks using the following criteria, with a score of 3 or above being considered a pass. The scores were determined by consensus of all experts on the panel. The evaluation results are shown in Table 4.

(Moldability) The moldability of the soybean hamburger before baking was evaluated. 5 points: Very strong adhesion and very easy to mold (same as control example 2)
4 points: Good adhesion and easy to mold 3 points: Good adhesion and easy to mold 2 points: Poor adhesion and almost impossible to mold 1 point: No adhesion and impossible to mold at all (shape retention) The shape retention of the soybean hamburger after baking was evaluated as 5 points: It keeps its shape and does not crumble even when force is applied (same as control example 2)
4 points: Almost keeps its shape and does not crumble even when force is applied 3 points: Barely keeps its shape, but crumbles when force is applied 2 points: Shape is lost 1 point: Very much loses its shape (texture (elasticity)) The soy hamburger steak after baking was eaten and its elasticity was evaluated 5 points: Very elastic (same as control example 2)
4 points: Elastic 3 points: Slightly elastic 2 points: Almost no elasticity 1 point: No elasticity

The mass of the hamburger steak before and after baking was measured to determine the baking yield (%). Specifically, the baking yield was calculated using the following formula. The results are shown in Table 4.
Formula: Firing yield (%) = (mass after firing (g) / mass before firing (g)) x 100

As a result, as shown in Table 4, the soybean hamburger of each example had sufficient moldability, shape retention, and elasticity, although it was slightly inferior to Control Example 2, which used dried egg white. In addition, Examples 2-1, 2-2, 2-4, 2-5, and 2-6 had a better baking yield than Control Example 2, despite having a higher moisture content than Control Example 2.

<Test Example 3>
Kamaboko was prepared using the compositions shown in Tables 5 and 6 according to the following procedure, and evaluated.

A. Production of Food Emulsion Composition (Examples Only)
(1) After adding ice to the water to cool it, the amount of water shown in Table 5 was weighed out.
(2) The raw materials listed in Table 5 except for rapeseed oil and water were mixed.
(3) Rapeseed oil was added to (2) above and mixed lightly.
(4) The cooled water from (1) was added to (3) above, and the mixture was mixed for about 2 minutes with a hand mixer ("Hand Mixer MK-H4-W" manufactured by Panasonic) to emulsify (the mixture was emulsified when it became creamy and had stiff peaks), to obtain a food emulsion composition (oil-in-water type).
(5) The emulsion composition of (4) above was cooled at 3° C. in a refrigerator until use in the step B described below.

B. Production of Kamaboko (1) Frozen Alaska pollock paste was partially thawed, cut into cubes with a knife, and finely ground in a food processor (Cuisinart Food Processor).
(2) Salt was added to the above (1) and mixed.
(3) One-third the amount of ice (crushed ice) was added to (2) above and mixed.
(4) The emulsion composition (only for the Examples) prepared in A. above, the raw materials shown in Table 6 except for salt and ice, and 1/3 amount of ice (crushed ice) were added to the above (3) and mixed.
(5) The remaining ⅓ of ice (crushed ice) was added to the above (4), and mixed while maintaining the surimi temperature at 11° C. or less until no ice chips remained.
(6) The above (5) was placed in a vinyl bag with a zipper and degassed using a vacuum packaging machine ("Hot Temp" manufactured by Nichiwa Denki Co., Ltd.).
(7) The above (6) was packed into a vinyl casing and then left to sit at 30° C. for 90 minutes.
(8) The above (7) was heated in a water bath at 85°C for 20 minutes.
(9) The above (8) was poured into ice water and cooled to 0°C for 10 minutes.
(10) The above (9) was stored in a refrigerator at 3° C. for 20 hours.

A panel of four experts evaluated the texture (hardness) and texture (elasticity) of the kamaboko using the following criteria, with a score of 3 or above being considered a pass. The score is the average score of all the experts on the panel. The evaluation results are shown in Table 6.

(Texture (hardness))
5 points: Very hard (same as Control 3)
4 points: Hard 3 points: Slightly hard 2 points: Soft 1 point: Very soft (Texture (elasticity))
5 points: Very elastic and very crisp (same as control example 3)
4 points: Elastic and crisp 3 points: Somewhat elastic and slightly crisp 2 points: Not very elastic and not crisp 1 point: Very elastic and not crisp

The breaking strength (g) and breaking distance (cm) of the resulting kamaboko were measured using a texture analyzer as follows. Note that breaking strength is an index of hardness, and breaking distance is an index of elasticity. The measurement results are also shown in Table 6.

(Measured with a texture analyzer)
The casing was peeled off from the kamaboko filled in the casing, and the kamaboko was cut into a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 30 mm to a thickness of 25 mm to be used as a measurement sample. The sample was placed on a sample stage with the cut surfaces facing up and down, and the center of the sample was pressed 15 mm from the top surface at room temperature (about 20° C.) with a texture analyzer ("TA-XT Plus" manufactured by Stable Micro Systems) equipped with a ball-shaped probe with a diameter of 5 mm at a compression speed of 1 mm/sec, and the maximum stress when the probe broke the kamaboko (breaking strength (g)) and the distance until the probe broke the kamaboko (breaking distance (cm)) were measured.

As a result, as shown in Table 6, the kamaboko of the embodiment had sufficient hardness and elasticity, although it was slightly inferior to control example 6, which used dried egg white.

Claims (13)

A food composition containing mannan, protein, and modified starch,
The food composition, wherein the processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch. The food composition according to claim 1, further comprising the following component (A):
Component (A): A powdery or granular material satisfying the following conditions (1) to (4): (1) a starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) a starch content of 5% by mass or more containing 3% to 45% by mass of a degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ to 5 x ¹⁰⁴ ; (3) a cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 to 20; and (4) a content of a fraction falling under a sieve having an opening of 3.35 mm and over a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm being 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the mannan is 0.01 or more and 5 or less in mass ratio to the content of the processed starch. The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mannan content is 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is used as an egg white substitute. The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is used to impart adhesive properties to food. The food composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is used to impart elasticity to food. A food emulsion composition comprising mannan, protein, modified starch, edible oil and fat, and water,
The food emulsion composition, wherein the processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch. A food product comprising the food composition according to claim 1 or 2. A method for producing a food emulsion composition containing mannan, protein, modified starch, edible oil and fat, and water, comprising:
The processed starch is at least one selected from the group consisting of oil- or fat-processed starch and crosslinked starch,
A method for producing an emulsion composition for food, comprising a step of mixing and emulsifying the mannan, the protein, the processed starch, the edible oil/fat, and the water. Obtaining a food emulsion composition by the production method according to claim 10;
A method for producing a food product, comprising the step of mixing the food emulsion composition with a food ingredient. A method for imparting adhesive properties to food, comprising blending the food composition according to claim 1 or 2 with the food. A method for imparting elasticity to food, comprising blending the food composition according to claim 1 or 2 with the food.