US 20180317536A1 ( 19) United States (12 ) Patent Application Publication ( 10) Pub . No. : US 2018 /0317536 A1 NAKAJIMA et al. (43 ) Pub . Date : Nov . 8 , 2018 ( 54 ) FOOD - IMPROVING AGENT ( 30 ) Foreign Application Priority Data (71 ) Applicant: SAN - EI GEN F . F . I. , INC ., Osaka ( JP ) Oct . 8 , 2015 ( JP ) .. .. .. 2015 - 200601 Oct. 28 , 2015 ( JP ) . .. .. .. .. .. 2015 - 212034 (72 ) Inventors: Kohei NAKAJIMA, Osaka ( JP ) ; Nov . 6 , 2015 ( JP ) .. .. 2015 - 218483 Satoshi TOYOIZUMI, Osaka ( JP ) ; Eiji May 13 , 2016 ( JP ) . .. .. .. .. .. 2016 - 097467 OKUDA , Osaka ( JP ) ; Masaharu Publication Classification SAGA , Osaka ( JP ) ; Hiroki (51 ) Int . CI. YAMASAKI, Osaka ( JP ) ; Kazumi A23L 29 /269 ( 2006 . 01 ) IWAI, Osaka ( JP ) ; Dai KAWASHIMA, ( 52 ) U . S . CI. Osaka (JP ) ; Daizo HARA , Osaka ( JP ) CPC .. A23L 29 /271 ( 2016 . 08 ) ; A23V 2002/ 00 (2013 . 01 ) (21 ) Appl. No. : 15 / 765 , 169 (57 ) ABSTRACT ( 22 ) PCT Filed : Oct . 7 , 2016 An object of the present invention is to provide a protein containing food having a smooth , grittiness - free texture PCT/ JP2016 / 080038 without aggregation or roughness of the protein , even after ( 86 ) PCT No. : severe sterilization such as retort sterilization . $ 371 ( c ) ( 1 ), The object of the present invention is achieved by a protein ( 2 ) Date : May 11 , 2018 aggregation inhibitor comprising welan gum . US 2018 /0317536 A1 Nov . 8 , 2018 FOOD - IMPROVING AGENT temperature ; a method for increasing the viscosity of a mix ; gelled foods that can endure retort sterilization containing a TECHNICAL FIELD gelling agent in addition to the protein ; and the like . How [ 0001 ] The present invention relates to a food - improving ever , these techniques have suffered from a problem such agent. More specifically , the present invention relates to the that some or all of the resulting gelled foods have a starchy following technical fields ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) . texture , and do not have a soft and smooth texture such as [0002 ] ( 1 ) The present invention relates to a protein aggre that of a pudding or a mousse . gation inhibitor, and a protein - containing food in which [0009 ] In addition , with the recent increase in the popu aggregation of protein is inhibited by adding the protein lation of elderly people , the number of persons with so aggregation inhibitor. More specifically , the present inven called dysphagia , is increasing ; therefore , there has been the tion relates to a protein -containing food in which a soft and development of foods for dysphagia that enables patients to smooth texture is ensured by inhibiting excessive protein orally take food and enjoy the food , and that also improves aggregation during the heating upon manufacture of a food their eating ability . Since many persons with dysphagia often containing a protein -containing material such as egg , cow have difficulty in eating a large amount of food , there is an milk , or soymilk , and therefore the appearance and the urgent need for the development of foods having a high mouthfeel are not impaired by roughness of the structure ; nutritional value that enables patients to take in a great deal the food may also be used as a food for dysphagia . The of nutrients , even in a small amount of food . Further , in present invention also relates to a production method of the particular, considering a situation in which a patient with food . dysphagia receives home care , it is difficult to have a large [0003 ] ( 2 ) The present invention relates to a production stock of chilled foods , because the freshness date of such method of a processed meat (processed meat or fish such as foods is usually short. Therefore , there has been a demand sausage, meatball, deep - fried chicken , deep - fried pork , for shelf- stable foods or the like that can be stored for a long kamaboko ( steamed fish paste ) , or tsumire (minced fish period of time at ordinary temperature , and that can be ball) ) in which the original texture of the processed meat is stored bedside or the like , thereby enabling the patient to retained or enhanced while ensuring a soft texture . The immediately intake the food whenever necessary . present invention also relates to a production method [0010 ] Protein is an important component among the nutrients in foods for persons with dysphagia . Thus , there thereof. has been a demand for foods that enable the patients to take [ 0004 ] ( 3 ) The present invention relates to a flour- contain a large amount of protein , even in a small amount of food . ing food with improved texture ( for example , desirable However , there has been a problem concerning tendency for perceived meltability in the mouth is imparted to the food ) aggregation or precipitation of proteins under severe condi such as takoyaki (octopus ball ) , okonomiyaki ( savory flour tions in , for example , retort sterilization , which is performed and - cabbage pizza ) , akashiyaki ( octopus egg ball) , taiyaki at 120° C . or more . Further , retort sterilization of a protein ( Japanese fish - shaped cake filled with sweet bean jam ), containing food that is performed to enable ordinary tem imagawayaki ( Japanese muffin filled with sweet bean jam ) , perature distribution of the food generally imparts a firm monjayaki ( savory flour - and - cabbage pizza with runnier texture to the food . In this view as well , foods containing a dough ) , pizza , bread , cake, or doughnuts . protein such as a dairy ingredient ( e . g . , shelf - stable pudding ) [ 0005 ] ( 4 ) The present invention relates to a gelatin are not suitable for foods for persons with dysphagia ; containing soup in which syneresis upon the freeze - thawing further , it has been even more difficult to produce a shelf is inhibited , and that will be hard to gel even if it cools after stable gelled food with a high protein content that enables heating with a microwave oven . the patients to , even in a small amount of food , take a necessary amount of protein . BACKGROUND ART [0011 ] Known protein - containing foods include various [0006 ] Technical field ( 1 ) described above has the follow food products using egg as a raw material, such as rolled ing problems. omelet , omelet , or scrambled egg . The proteins contained in [ 0007 ] Protein - containing foods have suffered from a such protein -containing foods containing eggs are gelled due problem of roughness inside or on the surface of the food to denaturation by heating or the like when they are directly due to the aggregation or precipitation of the protein upon cooked at home or a shop , thereby the processed egg heating for sterilization or the like during manufacture . The products , such as omelet or scrambled egg , can be prepared . roughness is generated as the protein derived from milk , On the other hand , when they are overly heated for steril egg , or the like used as a raw material is denatured by heat, ization , there is a problem of coagulation due to excessive thereby causing protein aggregation or precipitates . The denaturation of the egg, which results in loss of the original roughness thus means deterioration of the uniformity of the fluffy texture of a processed egg product . components , or a state with such deterioration . Generally, [ 0012 ] Further , hollandaise sauce , carbonara sauce , and foodswith such roughness apparently have gritty texture due the like have been known as protein - containing foods made to aggregated , cloudy, or turbid components , and the feel on by using, as a main raw material, liquid egg or the like the tongue and mouth are inferior . As a result , the commer containing a protein . Further , there are many varieties of cial value of the food significantly decreases by the rough soups containing soymilk or cow milk as a raw material . ness . Hollandaise sauce and carbonara sauce are eaten by being [ 0008 ] Because of such a problem , protein -containing mixed with a food , and therefore are provided in a smooth , foods ( e . g . , gelled foods such as pudding ) are generally grittiness - free state . distributed under chilled conditions. Further, there has been [0013 ] Hollandaise sauce , known as a basic sauce of some research on gelled foods in which the gel does not French cuisine , contains butter and lemon juice , and is become rough even after retort sterilization under a high emulsified with egg yolk . The sauce , which is used for US 2018 /0317536 A1 Nov . 8 , 2018 vegetables or eggs Benedict , is eaten by being mixed with a particle diameter of 15 um or less (PTL 1 - 4 ) , a method for food , imparting smooth and grittiness- free texture . Thus, the producing a raw material of a yolk - containing food charac aggregation generated by excessive heating worsens its terized by heating a slurry containing an egg yolk , polysac texture , and deteriorate the commercial value. Similarly , charide thickeners , dextrins and water for gelation , followed since carbonara sauce is also eaten by being mixed with by grinding the resulting gel (PTL 1 - 5 ) , a liquid egg com pasta , the decrease in the texture due to the aggregation is position comprising liquid egg and cellulose (PTL 1 - 6 ) , and not preferable, as it deteriorates the smooth texture of pasta the like have been disclosed . However , none of these meth and sauce . ods present a sufficient solution . [0014 ] However , it has been difficult to prevent excessive [ 0020 ] Further , as a method for imparting a smooth , grit protein aggregation during manufacturing process of a food tiness - free texture to a protein -containing food such as by adjusting the heating condition , which involves techno hollandaise sauce , a liquid egg composition comprising logical problems and inefficiencies in production . crystalline fibrous cellulose , a water -soluble polymer and [ 0015 ] Previously , starches has been used as a material for the like ( PTL 1 - 7 ) , an egg food material or a processed egg improving the properties of protein - containing foods, such product obtained by adding an acid - soluble soy protein to an as the processed egg products or the sauces described above .