JP-7856977-B2 - Method for producing glucomannan processed foods with high protein content

Inventors

• 藤田 裕之
• 中尾 友彦

Assignees

• 中尾食品工業株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230112

Claims (2)

1. The process includes a step of discharging a mixture containing glucomannan, alginic acid and/or its salt, and plant protein into an aqueous solution containing divalent cations to obtain a gel-like substance. The aforementioned mixture is Glucomannan in an amount of 0.3 w/w% to 2.5 w/w%, Alginic acid and/or its salts in an amount of 0.2 w/w% to 2.5 w/w% 3.0 w/w% to 12.0 w/w% of plant-based protein, Contains xanthan gum in an amount of 0.1 w/w% to 1.5 w/w%, The mass of glucomannan in the mixture is between 1/3 and 3 times the mass of alginic acid and/or its salt. A method for producing a gluten-free gel-like food.
2. A step of obtaining a gel-like substance by discharging a mixture containing glucomannan, alginic acid and/or its salt, and plant protein into an aqueous solution containing divalent cations, The process includes a step of drying the resulting gel-like substance. The aforementioned mixture is Glucomannan in an amount of 0.3 w/w% to 2.5 w/w%, Alginic acid and/or its salts in an amount of 0.2 w/w% to 2.5 w/w% Contains 3.0 w/w% to 12.0 w/w% of plant-derived protein. Contains xanthan gum in an amount of 0.1 w/w% to 1.5 w/w%, The mass of glucomannan in the mixture is between 1/3 and 3 times the mass of alginic acid and/or its salt. A method for producing gluten-free dried foods.

Description

This invention relates to a food product containing glucomannan and protein. Konjac is made by gelatinizing konjac powder, which is primarily composed of glucomannan, and then solidifying it with calcium. Because glucomannan is indigestible and low in calories, it is attracting attention as a so-called diet food used for weight loss and promoting bowel movements. However, since konjac does not contain protein, a major nutrient, athletes who need to strengthen their muscles actually consume nutritional supplements called protein preparations, which contain milk protein or soy protein. Furthermore, for elderly people suffering from frailty (a state of physical and mental decline due to aging) and those restricting carbohydrate intake, there is a need for foods that are low in carbohydrates and fats while providing ample protein. Under these circumstances, products containing protein in konjac have been launched (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, the applicant sells konjac noodles containing protein. These konjac noodles are manufactured by adding calcium hydroxide and milk protein to the gelatinization solution of konjac powder and then adding them in noodle-like strands to boiling water. However, using this conventional method of producing konjac, the resulting konjac could only contain about 2% w/w of protein, and empirically, at most 3% w/w. Incidentally, it is a known technique to produce gel-like foods by contacting a mixture (or liquid) containing alginate and glucomannan with a calcium salt (calcium ions). For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-166378 (Patent Document 1) discloses obtaining a freeze-storable konjac-like gel-like food by adding a mixture containing sodium alginate and konjac powder to an aqueous calcium chloride solution, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-036538 (Patent Document 2) discloses obtaining a gel-like substance by adding a mixture containing glucomannan, sodium alginate, and xanthan gum to a calcium chloride solution, and then drying it to obtain a dry product that rehydrates well. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-55162 (Patent Document 3) discloses obtaining a noodle-like food coagulation with the texture of konjac by adding a paste-like mixture containing sodium alginate or sodium pectin salt and various foods containing casein, soy protein, and other proteins to an aqueous solution of water-soluble calcium salt. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-209554 (Patent Document 4) discloses obtaining a gel-like food by adding a viscous liquid, to which proteins such as gelatin and collagen, dietary fiber, and polysaccharides have been added to a mixture containing glucomannan, sodium alginate, and thickening polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, to a calcium chloride solution. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-120541 (Patent Document 5) discloses obtaining soy noodles by dispensing a mixture containing sodium alginate and curdlan, to which okara powder, dietary fiber, and konjac powder have been added, into a calcium chloride solution. However, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for improving freeze resistance using alginate and konjac powder or xanthan gum, and since starch is used in the examples, the advantages of konjac as a low-calorie food are not utilized. Furthermore, examples using wheat protein are also disclosed, but wheat protein's main component is gluten, and using it causes the mixture containing glucomannan and other components to become too viscous during exhalation, making it impossible to exhale in a noodle-like form. Moreover, it increases the likelihood of causing allergies during consumption, so gluten-free formulations are desirable. While Patent Document 2 provides a konjac-like food product, this technology focuses on improving the rehydration of the resulting gel-like food product, and does not describe or suggest the inclusion of protein. Patent Document 3 attempts to create a food with a konjac-like texture by utilizing the property of alginates to coagulate upon contact with calcium salts, and incorporating non-coagulating substances such as casein, soy protein, and various starches. While Patent Document 3 also describes examples containing sodium alginate, glucomannan, and raw kelp, the protein content of raw kelp is low, and there is no disclosure of a food containing 3 w/w% or more protein. While Patent Document 4 discloses a dried product using sodium alginate, glucomannan, and locust bean gum as an example, it is either a dried product that does not contain protein, or one that contains rice bran containing only a small amount of protein. There is no disclosure of a food product containing 3 w/w% or more of protein. Similarly, the soy noodles disclosed in Patent Document 5 also contain okara powder, but the protein content in the okara powder is approximately 25%, and the protein content in these soy noodles is considered to be at most around 2 w/w%. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-16