Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
20Q 1 430
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The present invention relates to a process for
preparing foodstuffs to which konjak is added.
More particularly, the present invention relates
to a process for preparing hamburgers or the like to which
konjak is added without injuring taste of foodstuffs.
According to the present invention, konjak can be
added to foodstuffs without injuring taste, by using konjak
paste prepared in a pH range of from 9.0 to 10.3, preferably
a pH range of 9.5 to 10.2. Such foodstuffs greatly
contribute to rendering foodstuffs low calorie.
Konjak has been utilized as food from old. In
recent years, attention has been focused on its usefulness
because of non-calorie property of konjak or as dietary
fibers.
However, it is the actual situation that konjak
has been used mostly in a board-like form provided as daily
food but it has been insufficient to make use of konjak as
a material for processed foodstuffs, for example, to add
konjak to other foodstuffs thereby to impart its peculiar
texture to the foodstuff, to improve physical properties of
foodstuffs or to use as a "liaison" or for calorie control.
A cause therefor may be found in that development
on technology for adapting konjak raw materials such as
konjak powders, etc. for processed foodstuff materials or
foodstuff additives is behind.
That is, in a conventional method for preparing
konjak, 900 to 1200 liters of water is added to about 30 kg
of konjak powder, the resulting mixture is swollen to make
konjak paste and 3 to 6% of lime is then added to and mixed
with konjak powder.
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Subsequently, the mixture is filled up in a
container, a molding box or the like and heated at a
temperature of about 80 C for about 60 minutes to obtain
konjak. This process has been used from old.
Therefore, in the case of using konjak powders as
food materials for other processed foodstuffs, etc., there
have been adopted techniques of finely dividing konjak into
powder and adding such fine konjak powder, or swelling
konjak in water and adding as konjak paste, or adding lime
to konjak and adding the resulting konjak paste, etc.
However, these techniques involve a problem that
konjak mannan is not gelled even at the stage of final
products so that the paste state remains, a problem that a
smell of slaked lime used as a solidifying agent for konjak
remains, a problem that taste is deteriorated because pH is
inclined toward an alkaline side, and the like.
Accordingly, an amount of konjak to be added has
been greatly limited under the actual situation though it is
wished to add a much more amount of konjak for purposes of
improving physical properties or controlling calorie.
As a result of extensive investigations to add
konjak to foodstuffs without injuring taste of foodstuffs,
the present inventors have found that by adjusting a pH
value of konjak paste in a range of from 9.0 to 10.3, the
2S alkali taste or paste-like texture can be prevented.
The present invention is concerned with a process
for preparing konjak-added foodstuffs which comprises
incorporating into food raw materials konjak paste prepared
to show a pH range of from 9.0 to 10.3, preferably 9.5 to
10.2 and processing the mixture.
The thus-prepared konjak paste is allowed to stand
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at 20 to 25 C for at least 1.5 hours, preferably for 2 to 4
hours, after the above-mentioned pH adjustment and then
used.
Next, representative embodiments of the present
invention for preparing pH-controlled konjak paste are
described below.
(1) To konjak powder is added a 20 to 40-fold
amount of water to swell and dissolve the konjak powders in
water. Basic amino acids and basic salts are added to the
resulting konjak paste. The mixture is thoroughly mixed.
Alternatively;
(2) Basic amino acids and basic salts are
dissolved in water in an amount of 20 to 40 times that of
konjak powder and konjak powder is swollen and dissolved in
the resulting solution. Alternatively,
(3) Necessary amounts of basic amino acids and
basic salts are previously mixed with konjak powder and a 20
to 40-fold amount of water is added to the resulting powdery
mixture to swell and dissolve konjak powder, the basic amino
acids and basic salts therein.
In a manner as described above, konjak powder and
alkali agents are swollen and dissolved to prepare konjak
paste having pH of 9.0 to 10.3, preferably pH of 9.5 to
10.2.
Examples of the alkali agent which can be used in
the present invention are, as the basic amino acid,
arginine, histidine, lysine, citrulline, ornithine, etc.
Arginine and lysine are particularly preferred.
Any basic salts are usable so long as they are
used for foodstuffs but basic phosphates and organic acid
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salts are preferred. For example, sodium carbonate, sodium
bicarbonate calcium carbonate, disodium phosphate, trisodium
phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate,
sodium polyphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium lactate, etc.
are preferably used.
In order to give a buffering effect, acids such as
citric acid, lactic acid, etc. or acidic salts such as
sodium dihydrogenphosphate, potassium dihydrogenphosphate,
etc. may also be used in a suitable combination to finally
adjust pH to 9.0 to 10.3, preferably 9.5 to 10.2.
According to the present invention, the alkali
agent is chosen from the basic salts for foodstuff additives
described above and is used singly or in combination.
Since pH of konjak paste varies depending upon
kind of the alkali agent, it is necessary that an amount
required for the desired pH be previously determined by
preparing konjak paste using an alkali agent.
In the present invention, 1 to 50% of konjak paste
prepared to show a pH in a range of 9.0 to 10.3 is
incorporated into raw food materials and the mixture is
processed, whereby foodstuffs free of deterioration in taste
due to alkali and substantially free of konjak-like texture
or konjak past-like texture can be obtained. Thus,
excellent low calorie foodstuffs can be provided according
to the present invention.
In the present invention, approximately 1 to 50%
of konjak paste is added to raw food material such as meat
for hamburger, meat for sausage, fish meat, etc. The
mixture is then processed by heating, steaming, etc. to
prepare konjak-added foodstuffs.
The konjak paste controlled to the pH range in
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accordance with the present invention can be added to
various foodstuffs to make assistance in calorie control.
In addition thereto, the konjak paste can be added to marine
processed foodstuffs or meat processed foodstuffs to improve
their taste, texture, water-retaining properties etc., or
added to Chinese noodle, Japanese noodle, etc. to improve
texture and otherwise physical properties or to use as
liaison; alternatively, the konjak paste may be added to
bread, cookie, etc. to improve texture, swellability and
otherwise physical properties.
Next, test examples and examples of the present
invention are given below.
Test Example
To 5.6 g of konjak powder was added 200 ml of sodium
carbonate solution in a 0 to 0.5% concentration. While
stirring, konjak was swollen and the mixture was allowed to
stand at room temperature for 2 hours to swell konjak
completely. The resulting alkaline konjak paste, 60 g, was
mixed with 140 g of minced beef and 50 g of the mixture was
shaped into a circle of a 8 cm diameter. A part of this
hamburger pattie was baked, on a pan, as it was and another
part was baked after freezing at -20 C. Physical properties
and taste of the hamburger were then examined. At the same
time, pH of the alkaline konjak paste and hamburger pattie
was determined.
The results are shown in Table 1 below.
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Table 1 Results of pH Measurement and Physical
Properties and Taste of Pathe
Concent-
ration Physical Physical
5 of So- pH of Properties Properties
dium Alkaline pH of and Taste and Taste
Carbo- Konjak Hamburger When Baked When Baked
nate Paste Pattie As It Was After Freezing
0 6.60 6.10 x Konjak paste is x Konjak paste
not solidified not solidified
but strong paste but strong paste
like taste. like taste.
0.18.92 6.23 x Same as above x Same as above
0.159.36 6.30 x Same as above o Konjak paste is
solidified and
has good
texture.
0.29.62 6.36 ~ Konjak paste is o Same as above
not solidified
but weak paste
like taste.
0.259.78 6.46 o Konjak paste o Same as above
is solidified
and ~as good
texture.
0.39.94 6.47 o Same as above o Same as above
0.3510.05 6.59 o Same as above o Same as above
0.410.11 6.66 o Same as above o Same as above
0.4510.14 6.88 ~ Konjak paste ~ Konjak paste
is solidified is solidified
and has good and has good
texture. texture.
Somewhat weak Somewhat weak
alkali taste. alkali taste.
0.510.30 6.94 x Same as above x Same as above
0.610.40 7.00 x Alkali taste x Alkali taste
and unpleasant and unpleasant
odor. odor.
0.810 .50 7.21 x Same as above x Same as above
,
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Table 1 (continued)
Concent-
ration Physical Physical
of So- pH of Properties Properties
dium Alkaline pH of and Taste and Taste
Carbo- Konjak Hamburger When Baked When Baked
nate Paste Pattie As It Was After Freezing
1.0 10.60 7.44 x Same as above x Same as above
Beef alone: pH 6.01
Example 1
To 30 g of konjak powder was added 1000 ml of
0.3% sodium carbonate solution. While stirring, konjak
was swollen and the mixture was allowed to stand at room
temperature for further 2 hours to swell konjak
completely.
The pH of the konjak paste was 9.9. To 200 g of the
resulting alkaline konjak paste was added 500 g of minced
beef. The mixture was well mixed and shaped into 60 g of
hamburger pattie of a 8 cm diameter. The hamburger pattie
was good pattie having good texture.
This hamburger pathe was baked for tasting. It
was delicious hamburger free of unpleasant odor and free
of konjak-like texture.
Example 2
To 28 g of konjak powder was added 1000 ml of
.2% sodium carbonate solution. While stirring, konjak was
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swollen and the mixture was allowed to stand at room
temperature for further 2 hours to swell konjak completely.
The pH of the konjak paste was 9.6. To 300 g of the
resulting alkaline konjak paste was added 700 g of salmon
fish meat. The mixture was well mixed. After shaping into
a piece of 5 cm ~ 40 g, the piece was covered with a batter
obtained by dissolving wheat powder in water and then with
bread crumbs, which was freezed at -25 C overnight in a
refrigerator. It was a soft salmon fry free of unpleasant
odor and free of dry texture.
Example 3
Minced pork, 1750 g, 100 g of lard and 52 g of
table salt were mixed and stirred with a cutting mixer and
12 g of sugar, 7 g of sodium glutamate, 70 g of starch, 35
g of a smoking solution, 18 g of spice mixture (mixture of
pepper, paprika, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, sage, onion
mace) and 350 g of ice water were further added to the
mixture. To the resulting meat mixture was added 600 g of
alkaline konjak paste as prepared in Example 1. The mixture
was further mixed and stirred and packed in a collagen
casing for Vienna sausage. Boiling with hot water of 80 C
for 20 minutes gave Vienna sausage. The sausage was free of
unpleasant odor and had soft texture.
While the invention has been described in detail
and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it is
apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and
modifications can be made therein without departing from the
spirit and the scope of the invention.
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