JP7569594B1 - Retort pouched processed food and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a retort pouched processed food that maintains the texture of freshly cooked rice or freshly boiled noodles even when opened, a retort pouched processed food that allows a staple food and a main dish to be eaten simultaneously, and a method for producing the retort pouched processed food.
[Solution] A method for producing a processed food packed in a retort pouch filled with a staple food, comprising a pre-treatment step of filling a retort pouch with pre-gelatinized white rice or pre-gelatinized spaghetti as the staple food raw material, a seasoning liquid, and 8.0 to 17.6 wt% reduced starch syrup, and sealing it, and a retort sterilization step of cooking and sterilizing the sealed retort pouch by heating and pressurizing it.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a retort pouched processed food product filled with a staple food or a staple food and a main dish, and a method for producing the same.

Processed foods packed in retort pouches, which are food packed in retort pouches, have been known for some time. Many processed foods packed in retort pouches can be easily eaten by simply heating them in a microwave or cooking them in a hot water bath for a short time, and so there is a wide variety available, making them very popular with consumers. In addition, because they are sealed in a sterile environment, they can be stored at room temperature for long periods of time, making them highly useful as preserved food in the event of a disaster.

Most of the retort pouched processed foods that have been available on the market up until now have contained only main dishes such as curry roux, pasta sauce, Chinese rice bowl toppings, and beef bowl toppings, among the meal components classified as staple foods, side dishes, main dishes, milk and dairy products, and fruits, and did not contain staple foods such as rice or noodles. This is because rice and noodles are originally thought to be unsuitable for packing into containers such as retort pouches, as they contain a high starch content and are viscous. For this reason, rice, pasta, etc. are generally prepared separately, and retort pouched processed foods such as curry roux and pasta sauce are poured on top of them. However, there is a need for people who consume meals to consume staple foods such as rice and noodles at the same time. For this reason, processed foods in which rice or noodles are packed into retort pouches have been proposed.

For example, JP 2017-175925 A discloses a packaged food that is cooked and contains milk protein and grains, further contains gelatin, and the packaged food is risotto, rice porridge, rice porridge, cheese mochi, or soup (Patent Document 1).

JP 2022-145413 A discloses a method for producing a packaged processed food containing noodles, which includes a step of obtaining frozen noodles by subjecting noodles that have been subjected to a boiling heat treatment and a steam heat treatment to a freezing treatment, and a step of obtaining a packaged processed food containing noodles by subjecting a container filled with the frozen noodles and a seasoning liquid containing 25% to 40% by mass of a starch hydrolysate having a DE value of 4 to 18 to a heat sterilization treatment (Patent Document 2).

JP 2017-175925 A JP 2022-145413 A

However, in conventional retort pouch processed foods filled with cooked rice or noodles as described in Patent Document 1 above, the moisture content had to be set high to ensure fluidity so that rice or spaghetti would not remain inside the retort pouch. The same is true when cooked rice or noodles are filled with curry roux, pasta sauce, or seasoning liquid. Therefore, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 had the problem that cooked rice or noodles absorb excessive moisture during storage, and the texture of the rice or noodles is damaged when the pouch is opened. In addition, the invention described in Patent Document 2 requires that noodles subjected to boiling and steaming treatments be frozen and then frozen for storage, and cannot be stored at room temperature. In addition, when cooked rice or noodles are generally frozen, the moisture inside them leaks out, making the texture dry and making it difficult to reproduce the flavor of freshly cooked or boiled rice.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a retort pouched processed food that maintains the texture of freshly cooked rice or freshly boiled noodles when opened, a retort pouched processed food that allows a staple food and a main dish to be eaten simultaneously, and a method for producing a retort pouched processed food.

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors conducted various investigations into ingredients that can regulate the moisture content of starch-containing food ingredients, and discovered that the above problems can be solved by adding starch hydrolysates to the ingredients.

The present invention was made based on this finding, and provides a retort pouched processed food filled with a staple food, the staple food being rice or noodles, and further containing a starch hydrolysate having a DE value of 8 to 40.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a processed food packed in a retort pouch filled with a staple food, the method comprising a pre-treatment step of filling a retort pouch with a cooked rice or noodle ingredient as the staple food ingredient and a starch hydrolysate having a DE value of 8 to 40, and sealing the pouch, and a retort sterilization step of cooking and sterilizing the sealed retort pouch by heating and pressurizing it.

According to the present invention, by using a starch hydrolyzate as one of the raw materials, excessive absorption of moisture during storage of cooked rice or noodles is suppressed, so that the texture of freshly cooked rice or noodles can be reproduced when the pouch is opened. In addition, a retort pouch-packed processed food can be provided that allows the simultaneous consumption of a staple food such as cooked rice or noodles with a maintained texture, a side dish such as curry roux or pasta sauce, and a main dish such as meat, egg, or seafood, all in one retort pouch.

FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effects of various starch hydrolysates on the texture of rice packed in a retort pouch (rice only). FIG. 1 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effects of various starch hydrolysates on the appearance and flavor of rice packed in a retort pouch (rice only). FIG. 13 shows the results of a rheometer analysis evaluation of the effects of various starch hydrolysates on the texture of rice packed in a retort pouch (rice only). FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of rice packed in a retort pouch (rice only). FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of the noodles in retort pouched spaghetti (noodles only). This figure shows the results of a sensory evaluation to determine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of noodles in retort pouched penne (noodles only). FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation to determine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of rice in a retort pouch packed with curry rice. FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation to determine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of rice in a retort pouched Chinese rice bowl. FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation to determine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added to retort pouched beef bowls on the texture of the rice. FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of the noodles in retort pouched tomato cream spaghetti. FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of the noodles in retort pouched basil cream spaghetti. FIG. 13 shows the results of a sensory evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of the noodles in a retort pouch packed spaghetti Bolognese. This figure shows the results of a rheometer analysis evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added to retort pouched curry rice on the texture of the rice. This figure shows the results of a rheometer analysis conducted to examine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of rice in a retort pouch Chinese rice bowl. FIG. 13 shows the results of a rheometer analysis conducted to examine the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added to retort pouched beef bowls on the texture of the rice. FIG. 1 shows the results of a rheometer analysis evaluation of the effect of the amount of reduced starch syrup added on the texture of the noodles for retort pouches (a) tomato cream spaghetti, (b) basil cream spaghetti, and (c) bolognese spaghetti.

First, a retort pouched processed food according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The retort pouched processed food according to this embodiment is a retort pouched processed food filled with a staple food, the staple food being rice or noodles, and further containing a starch hydrolyzate having a DE value of 8 to 40.

In this embodiment, a staple food refers to a food whose main nutrient is carbohydrate, and in this embodiment, rice or noodles are particularly suitable.

Examples of cooked rice include cooked rice containing at least one type selected from the group consisting of white rice, black rice, red rice, green rice, brown rice, wheat, and miscellaneous grains (foxtail millet, barnyard millet, millet, pearl barley, oats, soybeans, red beans, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.), as well as cooked versions of these cooked rices, such as mochi, fried rice, pilaf, garlic rice, butter rice, ketchup rice, jambalaya, gapao rice, nasi goreng, taco rice, Mexican rice, bibimbap, khao pat, and biryang. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

Noodles refer to noodles made by adding water and kneading wheat flour or other cereal flour and other raw materials, and include, for example, udon, Chinese noodles (ramen noodles, yakisoba noodles), skins, Japanese soba, somen, hiyamugi, hiyamen, rice vermicelli, kishimen, and pasta. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

In particular, pasta includes long pasta such as spaghetti, capellini, linguine, fettuccine (tagliatelli), etc.; short pasta such as macaroni, penne, farfalle, rigatoni, fusilli (spiral, curls), conchiglie (shells), etc.; and other pastas such as lasagna (lasagna), gnocchi, etc.

In this embodiment, starch hydrolysates with a DE value of 8 to 40 are used. Here, starch hydrolysates refer to food materials that can be obtained by breaking down starch (including modified starch) into smaller molecules (hydrolysis) using enzymes and/or acids. "DE value" is an abbreviation for Dextrose Equivalent value, and the DE value is used as an index of the degree of hydrolysis of starch hydrolysates. The closer the DE value is to 100, the more hydrolysis has progressed and the closer it is to glucose, which imparts a corresponding sweetness to the food.

The DE value of the starch hydrolysate used in this embodiment is 8 to 40 from the viewpoint of maintaining an appropriate texture of cooked rice and noodles in retort pouched processed foods. Specific examples of starch hydrolysates that can be used in the present invention include maltotriose (DE value 33), maltotetraose (DE value 25), maltodextrin (DE value about 10 to 20), powdered syrup (DE value about 20 to 40), reduced starch syrup (DE value about 8 to 40), and starch syrup (DE value 35 to 40), and preferably low-saccharified reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 8 to 40, and more preferably low-saccharified reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 15 to 20.

The reduced starch syrup is a mixture of sugar alcohols ranging from monosaccharides to polysaccharides, and is a general term for a mixture of monosaccharide sugar alcohols and polysaccharide sugar alcohols produced by reducing the glucose ends of starch syrup by hydrogenation, using starch syrup obtained by hydrolysis of starch with acid or enzymes as the raw material.

The reduced starch syrup is classified according to the sugar content of the raw material, with those made from starch syrup with a high sugar content being called high sugar reduced starch syrup (DE value 50-65), those made from starch syrup with a low sugar content being called low sugar reduced starch syrup (DE value 8-40), and those in between being called medium sugar reduced starch syrup (DE value 40-50). In the present invention, from the viewpoint of maintaining an appropriate texture for rice and noodles in retort pouched processed foods, it is preferable to use low sugar reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 8-40, and it is more preferable to use low sugar reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 15-20 when considering the flavor and appearance in addition to the texture.

In this embodiment, the reduced starch syrup may be a commercially available product, for example, DCP-HL (trademark, manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.).

The content of starch hydrolysates with a DE value of 8 to 40 is preferably 8.0 to 17.6% by weight, taking into consideration the texture of cooked rice and noodles. By setting the content of starch hydrolysates with a DE value of 8 to 40 within this range, cooked rice and noodles can be made with an appropriate texture that is neither too soft nor too hard. Furthermore, a content within this range does not affect the flavor or appearance of the food.

The retort pouched processed food according to this embodiment can use a food that is a main dish, so long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention. In this embodiment, the main dish is a food whose main nutrients are protein, lipids, energy, and iron, and also includes vitamins and minerals. The main dish may also contain seasonings and spices in addition to meat, fish, soybeans, and eggs, and processed dishes made from these, specifically, seasoning sauces such as curry roux, hayashi rice roux, pasta sauce, and hamburger sauce, seasoning liquids such as ramen soup, risotto soup, noodle soup, and hot pot soup, ingredients for Chinese rice bowls, ingredients for beef bowls, ingredients for pork bowls, ingredients for oyakodon, ingredients for mapo tofu bowls, ingredients for minced meat bowls, sauce for thickened fried noodles, ingredients for stewed udon, ingredients for fried udon, soup for red bean soup or zenzai (bean paste) and ingredients for zoni.

The retort pouch-packed processed food according to this embodiment suppresses excessive absorption of moisture during the storage period of rice dishes and noodles, so that the texture of freshly cooked rice dishes or freshly boiled noodles is maintained when the food is opened. Furthermore, even if a staple food such as rice dishes or noodles is mixed with a main dish as a side dish in one retort pouch, the texture of the rice dishes or noodles is maintained without being impaired, so that it is possible to provide products that can be easily eaten by heating a staple food and a main dish at the same time in one retort pouch, such as a retort pouch-packed curry rice food with rice and curry roux, a retort pouch-packed Chinese rice bowl food with rice and Chinese rice bowl ingredients, a retort pouch-packed beef bowl food with rice and beef bowl ingredients, and a retort pouch-packed spaghetti food with pasta and pasta sauce.

Next, a method for producing a retort pouched processed food according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The method for producing a retort pouched processed food according to this embodiment is a method for producing a retort pouched processed food filled with a staple food, and includes a pre-treatment process in which a rice ingredient or noodle ingredient as the staple food ingredient and a starch hydrolyzate with a DE value of 8 to 40 are filled into a retort pouch and sealed, and a retort sterilization process in which the sealed retort pouch is heated and pressurized to cook and sterilize the food.

The pre-processing process involves filling retort pouches with the necessary ingredients, seasonings, and spices for the final product, and then sealing them in the usual way.

When preparing a retort-pouched processed food with cooked rice as the staple food, the cooked rice ingredient is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of pre-cooked (i.e. pre-gelatinized) white rice, black rice, red rice, green rice, brown rice, wheat, miscellaneous grains (foxtail millet, barnyard millet, millet, pearl barley, oats, soybeans, red beans, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.), and cooked versions of these cooked rice ingredients (e.g. mochi, etc.). These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

By using pre-gelatinized cooked rice ingredients, cooked rice with the desired texture can be produced. The gelatinization is carried out in the retort sterilization process described below.

When noodles are used as the staple food in a retort pouched processed food, it is preferable that the noodle raw material contains noodles that have not yet been boiled, i.e., have not yet been gelatinized.

Noodles refer to raw noodles or dried noodles before gelatinization, which are made by adding water and kneading wheat flour or other cereal flour and other raw materials, and examples include udon, Chinese noodles (ramen noodles, yakisoba noodles), skins, Japanese soba, somen, hiyamugi, hiyamen, rice vermicelli, kishimen, and pasta. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

In particular, pasta includes long pasta such as spaghetti, capellini, linguine, fettuccine (tagliatelli), etc.; short pasta such as macaroni, penne, farfalle, rigatoni, fusilli (spiral, curls), conchiglie (shells), etc.; and other pastas such as lasagna (lasagna), gnocchi, etc.

By using noodle ingredients before gelatinization, noodles with the desired texture can be produced. Note that gelatinization is carried out in the retort sterilization process described below.

In this embodiment, in the pretreatment process, the main dish ingredients can also be filled into the retort pouch.

The main dish ingredients are foods whose main nutrients are protein, lipids, energy, and iron, as well as vitamins and minerals. The main dish ingredients may also include various vegetables, poultry and animal meat, seafood, seaweed, soybeans, eggs, as well as seasonings and spices. The specific ingredients are determined appropriately according to the desired processed food, but since ingredients and seasonings cannot be added after the retort pouch is sealed, all ingredients are pre-processed to the desired shape and size. In addition to fresh produce, the main dish ingredients may also be semi-dried products, dried products, heat-processed products, or products that have been pre-pickled, such as salted products.

In this embodiment, starch hydrolysates with a DE value of 8 to 40 are used. Here, starch hydrolysates refer to food materials that can be obtained by breaking down starch (including modified starch) into smaller molecules (hydrolysis) using enzymes and/or acids. "DE value" is an abbreviation for Dextrose Equivalent value, and the DE value is used as an index of the degree of hydrolysis of starch hydrolysates. The closer the DE value is to 100, the more hydrolysis has progressed and the closer it is to glucose, which imparts a corresponding sweetness to the food.

The DE value of the starch hydrolysate used in this embodiment is 8 to 40 from the viewpoint of maintaining an appropriate texture of cooked rice and noodles in retort pouched processed foods. Specific examples of starch hydrolysates that can be used in the present invention include maltotriose (DE value 33), maltotetraose (DE value 25), maltodextrin (DE value about 10 to 20), powdered syrup (DE value about 20 to 40), reduced starch syrup (DE value about 8 to 40), and starch syrup (DE value 35 to 40), and preferably low-saccharified reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 8 to 40, and more preferably low-saccharified reduced starch syrup with a DE value of 15 to 20.

Starch hydrolysates with a DE value of 8 to 40 are packed into a retort pouch together with the staple food ingredients and main dish ingredients. They may be mixed with the staple food ingredients beforehand and then packed into a retort pouch, or they may be mixed with the staple food ingredients and main dish ingredients and then packed into a retort pouch.

The amount of starch hydrolysate added is preferably 8.0 to 17.6% by weight, taking into consideration the texture of cooked rice and noodles. By setting the amount of starch hydrolysate added within this range, cooked rice and noodles can be made to have an appropriate texture that is neither too soft nor too hard. Furthermore, a content within this range does not affect the flavor or appearance of the food.

After being filled into a retort pouch, it is subjected to the retort sterilization process described below, but it is preferable to leave the cooked rice or noodles to stand for 30 minutes or more before the retort sterilization process in order to allow the cooked rice or noodles to soak up the moisture. By soaking the cooked rice or noodles with moisture, the texture of the cooked rice or noodles becomes good. Once the cooked rice or noodles are sufficiently soaked up, the effect plateaus, so the soaking process is preferably carried out for 6 hours or less. Note that this soaking process is not necessary when cooked cooked rice ingredients or raw noodles are used.

The retort sterilization process involves cooking and sterilizing the above-mentioned staple food ingredients, main dish ingredients, and starch hydrolysate by heating and pressurizing a sealed retort pouch.

The heating and pressurizing conditions are set appropriately depending on the raw materials, but it is preferable to set the conditions at 105 to 125°C and 0.02 to 0.131 MPa for 20 to 50 minutes.

The retort sterilization process heats and cooks the ingredients for the staple food and main dish. In addition, reduced starch syrup coats the cooked rice and noodles, preventing them from absorbing too much moisture during storage, and ensuring that the texture of the cooked rice and noodles is maintained even when the package is opened. Heat sterilization is also carried out at the same time, making it possible to store processed foods for long periods of time.

When eating, the retort pouched processed food can be eaten as is, or it can be warmed in a hot water bath or microwave oven before being opened and eaten.

1. Study of the effect of starch hydrolysates on the texture, appearance and flavor of rice (1) Sensory evaluation of texture To study the effect of starch hydrolysates on the texture of rice, a sensory evaluation test was conducted as follows. After washing rice (Asahi no Yume produced in Gunma Prefecture), 30 g of the rice was mixed with 33 g of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark) manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd., a liquid reduced sugar product of low sweetness maltodextrin, DE value 19.5) and 13.2 g of water, and the mixture was filled into a 200 ml retort pouch (manufactured by Chuetsu Co., Ltd.) and sealed with a sealer. After that, the rice was soaked in water for about 30 minutes, and then pressurized and heated for 20 minutes at 122°C and 0.11 MPa using a retort sterilizer (RCS-120/30SPXGS manufactured by Hisaka Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) to prepare samples.

In addition, instead of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark)), samples were similarly prepared using the same amount of dextrin (25 g of Matsutani Chemical Industry's resistant dextrin Fibersol 2 (trademark) solids added with water to make 33 g, DE value less than 10), starch syrup (Gunei Chemical Industry's Special Starch Syrup SS, DE value 20-40), reduced starch syrup from another company (Bussan Food Science's SE 600 (trademark), highly saccharified reduced starch syrup), and water.

The samples were A: dextrin, B: starch syrup, C: reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark)), D: other company's reduced starch syrup, E: water, and sample C was used as the reference sample. After sample preparation, the samples were stored at room temperature for 14 days.

The evaluation was carried out by eight members of the Food Development Department, who used a two-point test method to determine the ranking of rice texture (hardness, viscosity, chewiness, and chewiness) based on a standard sample. In other words, rice texture (hardness) of C was used as the standard, and the comparisons were made as follows: C:A, C:B, C:D, and C:E.

The results are shown in Figure 1. As for texture, as shown in Figure 1, it was found that reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark)) and starch syrup provided a good texture. On the other hand, dextrin was evaluated as being too hard, and the other company's reduced starch syrup and water were evaluated as being too soft and not providing a sufficient texture. Taking these results together, the ranking of texture was as follows:
(Hard) A > C (Standard) = B > D > E (Soft)

These results demonstrate that processed foods packed in retort pouches containing starch hydrolysates with DE values of 8 to 40 are able to maintain the good texture of rice.

(2) Sensory evaluation of appearance and flavor Using the above-mentioned samples A to E, a sensory evaluation was carried out on the appearance (size, shape, color, luster, and volume) and flavor (five basic tastes: saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and umami). Figure 2 shows the results of the appearance and flavor evaluation. As shown in Figure 2, sample C (reduced starch syrup, DCP-HL (trademark)) and sample D (other company's reduced starch syrup) were slightly yellowish in appearance and flavor, but were at an acceptable level. On the other hand, sample A (dextrin) and sample B (starch syrup) were clearly colored yellow or orange, which was far from the original color of rice. As for flavor, sample C was hardly sweet and was at an acceptable level, but sample D was sweet in addition to the sweetness of rice.

These results show that reduced starch syrup (liquid reduced saccharified product of low-sweetness maltodextrin, DE value 19.5) does not affect the appearance or flavor of rice and can be used in all retort pouched processed foods. On the other hand, highly saccharified reduced starch syrup, dextrin, and starch syrup impart color and sweetness to rice, which limits the types of retort pouched processed foods to which they can be used.

(3) Rheometer Analysis and Evaluation of Texture The texture of the above-mentioned Samples A to E was evaluated by rheometer analysis (RE2-33005C manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Figure 3.

The horizontal axis shows time (1/100 seconds) and the vertical axis shows load (N); the higher the load applied over time, the harder the cooked rice is. As shown in Figure 3, the retort pouched rice with added dextrin (A) had the highest load over time, followed by retort pouched rice with added reduced starch syrup (C) and retort pouched rice with added starch syrup (B), and then rice with added reduced starch syrup from another company (D) and water (E). This supports the ranking of texture (A>C=B>D>E) obtained in the sensory evaluation test above.

2. Study of the amount of reduced starch syrup added (1) Cooked rice, noodles (1-1) Cooked rice Retort pouched rice (rice only) was produced using the raw materials shown in Table 1. At that time, the amount of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low-sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added was 0 wt%, 7.1 wt%, 8.3 wt%, 9.5 wt%, 10.7 wt%, 12.0 wt%, 13.1 wt%, and 14.3 wt%. As an example, a blending example in the case of 10.7 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were performed in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

(1-2) Noodles Retort pouched spaghetti (noodles only) was produced using the raw materials shown in Table 2. At that time, the amount of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added was 0 wt%, 7.8 wt%, 10.1 wt%, 12.6 wt%, 15.1 wt%, 17.6 wt%, and 20.1 wt%, respectively. As an example, a blending example in the case of 12.6 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

Penne (noodles only) packed in a retort pouch was produced using the ingredients shown in Table 3. The amounts of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced sugar product of low-sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added were 0 wt%, 7.8 wt%, 10.1 wt%, 12.6 wt%, 15.1 wt%, 17.6 wt%, and 20.1 wt%, respectively. As an example, a blending example for 10.1 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown below. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were in accordance with the procedure described above in 1.

(2) Production of various retort pouched processed foods (2-1) Curry rice Curry rice packed in a retort pouch was produced using the raw materials shown in Table 4. At that time, the amount of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added was 4.4 wt%, 6.6 wt%, 8.8 wt%, 13.2 wt%, 17.6 wt%, 19.8 wt%, and 22.0 wt%. As an example, a blending example in the case of 13.2 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were performed in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

(2-2) Chinese rice bowl Retort pouched Chinese rice bowls were produced using the raw materials shown in Table 5. At that time, the amount of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added was 4.2 wt%, 8.5 wt%, 10.6 wt%, 12.7 wt%, 14.8 wt%, 17.0 wt%, and 21.2 wt%. As an example, a blending example in the case of 12.7 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were performed in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

(2-3) Beef bowl Retort pouched beef bowls were produced using the raw materials shown in Table 6. At that time, the amount of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added was 3.2 wt%, 6.4 wt%, 8.0 wt%, 9.6 wt%, 11.2 wt%, 12.8 wt%, and 16.0 wt%, respectively. As an example, a blending example in the case of 9.6 wt% reduced starch syrup is shown. The blending amount of water in the raw material was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were performed in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

(2-4) Spaghetti (tomato cream spaghetti, etc.)
The raw materials shown in Table 7 were used to produce retort pouched tomato cream spaghetti. The amounts of reduced starch syrup (DCP-HL (trademark), a liquid reduced saccharified product of low sweetness maltodextrin manufactured by Daiichi Kasei Co., Ltd.) added were 0 wt%, 4.2 wt%, 8.5 wt%, 12.7 wt%, 14.8 wt%, 16.9 wt%, and 21.2 wt%, respectively. The main dishes were also produced in the same manner as for basil cream pasta sauce and bolognese pasta sauce. As an example, a blending example of tomato cream spaghetti with reduced starch syrup of 12.7 wt% is shown below. The blending amount of water in the raw materials was adjusted according to the amount of reduced starch syrup added. The retort sterilization conditions were performed in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

(3) Sensory Evaluation of Texture For each of the retort-pouched processed foods obtained, a sensory evaluation test was conducted by eight or six panelists on the texture, flavor, and appearance of cooked rice or noodles in accordance with the procedure described in 1 above.

In addition, in order to evaluate the texture, flavor, and appearance of the retort pouched processed food containing only rice, as well as its suitability as rice for curry, a sensory evaluation was conducted in which a commercially available curry roux (Curry-ya Curry (trademark) manufactured by House Foods Corporation) was heated in a hot water bath for 5 minutes and poured over rice. For comparison, a commercially available packed rice (Sato no Gohan (trademark) manufactured by Sato Foods Co., Ltd., Koshihikari rice produced in Niigata Prefecture, 200 g) was also heated as instructed on the package and used in the test.

In addition, for the sensory evaluation of retort pouched processed foods containing only spaghetti or only penne, a commercially available pasta sauce (Ao no Doukutsu Carbonara (trademark) manufactured by Nisshin Seifun Welna Co., Ltd.) was heated in a hot water bath for 3 minutes and poured over the spaghetti or penne. For comparison, commercially available spaghetti (Popolo Spa (trademark) manufactured by Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd., 7-minute binding) and commercially available penne (Antonio De Niro Penne Rigate (trademark) manufactured by Colussi Group Co., Ltd.) were also boiled as instructed on the package and used in the test.

The results are shown in Figures 4 to 12. As a result of the sensory evaluation, the range of added reduced starch syrup that showed a good texture was 9.5 to 12.0% by weight for rice packed in a retort pouch (Figure 4). When the amount of added reduced starch syrup was 0% by weight or below a certain amount, the texture was too soft and the flavor tended to be poor. On the other hand, when the amount of added reduced starch syrup was above a certain amount, the flavor was relatively good, but the texture was evaluated as being too hard (Figure 4). Note that the commercially available rice, like the test group without added reduced starch syrup, had a texture that was too soft for curry rice and also had an undesirable flavor (negative control: Figure 4).

In addition, for spaghetti and penne, the range of added reduced starch syrup that showed a good texture was 10.1-15.1% by weight for spaghetti packed in a retort pouch (Figure 5), and 10.1-12.6% by weight for penne packed in a retort pouch (Figure 6). When the amount of added reduced starch syrup was 0% by weight or below a certain amount, the texture was too soft and the flavor tended to be poor. On the other hand, when the amount of added reduced starch syrup was above a certain amount, the flavor was relatively good, but the texture was evaluated as being too hard (Figures 5 and 6). Note that the commercially available spaghetti and penne were cooked according to the conventional, general way of eating, and therefore both the texture and flavor were confirmed to be good (positive control: Figures 5 and 6).

Next, a sensory evaluation was conducted on processed foods packed in retort pouches containing both a staple food and a main dish. The results showed that the range of added reduced starch syrup that provided a good texture was 8.8-17.6% by weight for curry rice packed in a retort pouch (Figure 7), 10.6-14.8% by weight for Chinese rice bowl packed in a retort pouch (Figure 8), and 8.0-11.2% by weight for beef bowl packed in a retort pouch (Figure 8).

When the amount of reduced starch syrup added was 0% by weight or below a certain amount, the texture was too soft and the flavor and appearance tended to be poor. On the other hand, when the amount of reduced starch syrup added was above a certain amount, the flavor and appearance were relatively good, but the texture was evaluated as being too hard (Figures 7 to 9).

The results showed that the range of added reduced starch syrup that provides a good texture for tomato cream spaghetti packed in a retort pouch is 8.5 to 14.8% by weight (Figure 10), for basil cream spaghetti packed in a retort pouch it is 8.5 to 14.8% by weight (Figure 11), and for bolognese packed in a retort pouch it is 9.6 to 16.8% by weight (Figure 12).

When the amount of reduced starch syrup added was 0% by weight or below a certain amount, the texture was too soft and the flavor and appearance tended to be poor. On the other hand, when the amount of reduced starch syrup added was above a certain amount, the flavor and appearance were relatively good, but the texture tended to be hard (Figures 10 to 12).

As described above, although there were slight differences in the range depending on the type of staple food and main dish, it was found that the appropriate range for the amount of reduced starch syrup added for all retort pouched processed foods was within the range of 8.0 to 17.6% by weight.

(4) Rheometer Analysis Evaluation of Texture The texture of the rice or noodles in each retort pouched processed food containing the staple food and main dish used in the sensory evaluation test was evaluated by rheometer analysis (RE2-33005C manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.). The results are shown in Figures 13 to 16.

In either case, when the amount of reduced starch syrup added was less than a certain amount, the texture tended to be soft, and when the amount of reduced starch syrup added was more than a certain amount, the texture tended to be hard, supporting the results of the sensory evaluation mentioned above. These results make it clear that by using reduced starch syrup as one of the ingredients, it is possible to control the absorption of moisture during the storage period of rice dishes and noodles in retort pouched processed foods. This makes it possible to adjust the texture of rice dishes and noodles to suit the meal menu, or to adjust the texture according to the preferences of the person eating it.

Claims (12)

A retort pouched processed food product filled with a staple food,
The staple food is rice or noodles,
Furthermore, the present invention provides a retort pouched processed food containing low-glycemic reduced starch syrup having a DE value of 8 to 40. The retort pouched processed food according to claim 1, further comprising a main dish. The retort pouched processed food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the low sugar reduced starch syrup is 8.0 to 17.6% by weight. The retort pouched processed food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooked rice is rice containing at least one type selected from the group consisting of white rice, black rice, red rice, green rice, brown rice, wheat, and miscellaneous grains. The retort pouched processed food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the noodles include at least one type selected from the group consisting of pasta, ramen noodles, udon, and somen. The retort pouched processed food according to claim 2, wherein the processed food is at least one selected from the group consisting of curry rice, hayashi rice, Chinese rice bowl, beef bowl, pork bowl, oyakodon, mapo rice bowl, minced meat rice bowl, spaghetti, ramen, udon, somen, risotto, thickened yakisoba, stewed udon, fried udon, oshiruko, zenzai, and zoni. A method for producing a retort pouched processed food filled with a staple food, comprising the steps of:
A pre-treatment step of filling a retort pouch with a cooked rice or noodle raw material as a staple food raw material and a low-glycemic reduced starch syrup having a DE value of 8 to 40, and sealing the pouch;
A retort sterilization process in which the sealed retort pouch is heated and pressurized to cook and sterilize the food;
The method for producing a retort pouched processed food product comprising the steps of: 8. The method for producing a retort pouched processed food according to claim 7 , further comprising filling the retort pouch with a main dish ingredient in the pretreatment step. The method for producing a retort pouched processed food according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the amount of the low sugar reduced starch syrup added is 8.0 to 17.6% by weight. 9. The method for producing a retort-pouched processed food according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the cooked rice raw material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of pregelatinized white rice, black rice, red rice, green rice, brown rice, wheat, and miscellaneous grains. 9. The method for producing a retort-pouched processed food according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the noodle raw material comprises at least one type selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinized pasta, ramen noodles, udon noodles, and somen noodles. 9. The method for producing a retort pouched processed food according to claim 8, wherein the processed food is at least one selected from the group consisting of curry rice, hayashi rice, Chinese rice bowl, beef bowl, pork bowl, oyakodon, mapo rice bowl, minced meat rice bowl, spaghetti, ramen, udon, somen, risotto, thickened yakisoba, stewed udon, fried udon, oshiruko, zenzai, and zoni .