US 2013 0022711A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2013/0022711 A1 Ichihara et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jan. 24, 2013 (54) FOOD PRODUCT CONTAINING STARCH Publication Classification GEL STARCH GRANULE, PRODUCTION METHOD AND USE THEREOF (51) Int. Cl. A2.3L. I./0522 (2006.01) (75) Inventors: Takashi Ichihara, Osaka (JP); Junya (52) U.S. Cl. ........................... 426/48; 426/578; 426/549 Fukuda, Osaka (JP); Masakazu Kimura, Osaka (JP); Kenichi Kurita, Osaka (JP) (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: GLICO FOODS CO.,LTD., Osaka (JP) Here is provided a method of producing a starch gel-contain ing food, the method comprising the steps of treating starch (21) Appl. No.: 13/383,060 granules with an enzyme at a temperature of about 10°C. or higher and about 70° C. or lower to obtain an enzyme-treated (22) PCT Filed: Aug. 11, 2010 starch; mixing a food material, the enzyme-treated Starch and water to obtain a mixture; heating the mixture thereby gela (86) PCT NO.: PCT/UP2O1 O/OOSO46 tinizing the enzyme-treated Starch in the mixture; and cooling S371 (c)(1), the mixture containing the gelatinized enzyme-treated Starch (2), (4) Date: Sep. 24, 2012 thereby gelling the starch to obtain a starch gel-containing food, wherein the enzyme is selected from the group consist (30) Foreign Application Priority Data ing of amyloglucosidase, isoamylase, C-glucosidase, C.-amy lase having a characteristic capable of improving a gel form Aug. 18, 2009 (JP) ................................. 2009-189567 ing ability of a starch, and cyclodextrin glucanotransferase. US 2013/0022711 A1 Jan. 24, 2013 FOOD PRODUCT CONTAINING STARCH gel can be enhanced, but there is such a drawback that a final GEL STARCH GRANULE, PRODUCTION product has powdery texture and also is inferior in flavor. METHOD AND USE THEREOF Also, in the case where a starch having a low crosslinking degree is added to a food, since a large amount of the starch TECHNICAL FIELD needs to be used so as to obtain the desired hardness, the obtained food has increased powdery texture, thus causing 0001. The present invention relates to a starch gel-contain deterioration of quality of a final product. Therefore, there is ing food, a starch having a high viscosity and a gel forming a limit on the use amount of the starch having a low crosslink ability, a food containing the starch, and a method of produc ing degree. In addition, processing of the starch utilizing a ing thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to chemical reaction also has such problems that there is a strict a method of producing a starch gel-containing food using an legal restriction on a processing method and a processing enzyme capable of improving a gel forming ability of a degree so as to secure safety, and that it is not necessarily starch. Suited to needs of consumers who require security and safety. 0010 For the purpose of deigning these processed foods, it BACKGROUND ART is urgently necessary to develop a processing technique to 0002 With diversification of foods, foods having various obtain a processed Starch which exhibits various physical shapes, physical properties and textures have been required. properties and has high safety. Particularly, intense interest has recently been shown towards 0011. As a result of intensive studies, we have found that a melt in mouth and texture as important physical properties for food with rich elasticity, crispy sensation and the like can be the purpose of designing foods. Also in the fields related to prepared by adopting the steps of treating starch granules deglutition and care toward which intense interest has with a starch hydrolase or a glycosyltransferase in advance; recently been shown, texture has been studied as important then mixing the resultant with a food material and water, and physical properties. heating the mixture. 0003. In the case of designing processed foods, utilization 0012. A starch is a material utilized for various purposes of a gelling agent is important so as to improve texture and and the most important function thereof is the thickening physical properties, and it is possible to develop various prod function and the gel forming function. Particularly in the food ucts according to how to use. industry, the thickening function and the gel forming function 0004 For the purpose of altering physical properties of of the starch are widely utilized for forming the shape, physi foods, various gelling agents have hitherto been added to food cal properties and texture of a food. The structure of a starch materials in the case of preparing foods. delicately varies depending on plant from which the starch 0005. In food processing, natural macromolecules such as derived (for example, corn, potato, wheat, and cassava). As a agar, gelatin, gellan gum, Xanthan gum, locust bean gum, result, the thickening function and gel forming function also carrageenan, pectin, Sodium alginate, Tamarind seed gum, vary depending on the plant from which the starch derived. psyllium seed gum, microcrystalline cellulose, curdlan, and Therefore, those skilled in the art have been selected a native starch; or synthetic macromolecules such as carboxymethyl starch to be used for a long time depending on the purpose. cellulose (CMC) or methyl cellulose are commonly used as For example, a wheat starch has often been used in a fish paste gelling agents. product for a long time. The reason is that the wheat Starch is 0006. In the case of using these gelling agents, gelling excellent in gel forming function. For example, a cassava agents may be sometimes used alone, however, in order to starch is commonly utilized in a food which has high trans form gels having more various characteristics, for example, parency and requires Sticky texture. However, with the use of two or more kinds of gelling agents such as native advancement of characteristics required in the current food gellan gum and guar gum in combination is studied and industry, it becomes impossible to cope with the advancement utilized (Patent Document 1). only by changing a native starch to be used. Therefore, there 0007. However, there are few combinations which can arises the need to alter the thickening function or the gel synergistically change the gel strength of foods. Even if it is forming function of a starch. possible to synergistically change the gel strength, the gel 0013 Means which are used most commonly to alter the obtained thereby does not have nice physical properties. Mix thickening function or the gel forming function of a starch is ing of two or more kinds of gelling agents is a defect due to a chemical modification of a starch. Above all, techniques of being complicated and that many materials are very expen applying a chemical treatment, Such as a technique of intro S1V. ducing a new crosslinking point between starch molecules 0008 Furthermore, there is such a restriction on use in using a Suitable chemical crosslinking agent and a technique food processing that, for example, a gelatin is inferior in of introducing a suitable functional group have widely been resistance to an acid and an alkali, and also an agar is inferior utilized so as to remarkably alter the thickening function or in resistance to an acid. the gel forming function. However, a starch Subjected to Such 0009 Starches have successfully produced various physi a chemical treatment has been specified as a food additive cal properties by adding not only raw starches but also a from October, 2008 in Japan, and thus restricted by law. processed starch obtained by chemically modifying starches Therefore, there has been required a technique in which the (also referred to as a chemically modified Starch) such as thickening function or the gel forming function of a starch is starch acetate and monostarch phosphate as agelling agent to altered without a chemical treatment. food materials. For example, Patent Documents 2, 3 and 4 0014. The technique of altering a starch without a chemi indicate examples in which a crosslinked Starch is utilized in cal treatment includes a technique of an enzymatic treatment a white table bread, confectioneries or noodles. However, in of a starch. Since an enzyme commonly acts on a substrate the case where a crosslinked starch having a high crosslinking dissolved in water, an enzymatic treatment is usually carried degree is added to a food, the hardness and the Viscosity of a out after completely dissolving a starch in water. A hydrolytic US 2013/0022711 A1 Jan. 24, 2013 enzyme or a glycosyltransferase is allowed to act on a starch food. Therefore, use of the method of the present invention dissolved in water to cleave the starch, thereby producing can exert an influence on texture of the food. As described molecules having a lower molecular weight such as dextrin, above, the enzyme-treated Starch granules of the prior art and starch syrup, maltooligosaccharide, maltose, and glucose. the enzyme-treated Starch granules used in the present appli However, in the enzymatic treatment with a hydrolytic cation quite differ in application and usage. enzyme or a glycosyltransferase, a starch molecule is cleaved 0017. As described above, it was conventionally impos to form low-molecular weight molecules. Therefore, it has sible to provide a starch excellent in thickening function or been commonly considered that the thickening function and gel forming function without utilizing a chemical modifica the gel forming function of the obtained molecule deteriorate tion of a starch. as compared with the thickening function and the gel forming 0018. Also, in the prior art, no attention was paid at all function of the starch, or are lost. whether or not an enzyme has characteristics capable of 0.015.