JP6789781B2 - Texture / flavor modifier of porridge grains and container-filled porridge containing it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a texture / flavor modifier for porridge grains and container porridge containing the same.

As consumers become more health conscious, brown rice, which is richer in nutritional components such as protein and vitamin B than white rice, is drawing attention. However, brown rice has a peculiar hardness, and there is a problem that it is soaked in water more firmly than polished rice, and even if the rice is cooked with a large amount of water, the cooked rice is hard. However, if too much water is added when cooking rice, the texture tends to be fluffy. Brown rice, which is harder than white rice and difficult to cook, can be slightly improved in hardness by making it into porridge, but if there is a lot of water, the porridge grains will collapse and split, resulting in a crunchy texture. I cannot deny the problem. Moreover, since the individual porridge grains that have been split have existed until now as hard as compared to white rice, the problem of hard texture has not been completely solved even when eating as porridge.

In addition to its hard texture, brown rice tends to be shunned by ordinary consumers because of its unique flavor. Attempts have been made to improve the unique odor and flavor of brown rice, such as bran odor, by adding salt to brown rice porridge or by adding a certain proportion of polished rice.

For hard grains such as brown rice, making porridge slightly improves the texture problem, but the porridge grains tend to crumble, and the texture problem caused by the hardness of the crumbled porridge grains has been completely solved. There wasn't. In addition, some cereals such as brown rice often have a unique flavor, and the problem of improving the flavor still remains.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a texture / flavor modifier for porridge grains and container-packed porridge containing the same.

Surprisingly, we found that the porridge grains of porridge cooked in the presence of hydrogen became soft and fluffy, and nevertheless the grains did not crumble easily, and the flavor was also modified. It was found that this was the case, and the present invention was completed. Regarding the flavor, in the case of brown rice etc., the peculiar harshness, bran odor, bitterness and astringency are reduced, and in the case of white rice etc., the sweetness is moderately suppressed and it becomes refreshing and light. It became clear.

That is, the present application includes the following inventions.
[1] A texture and / or flavor modifier for porridge grains containing hydrogen.
[2] The modifier according to [1], wherein the modification of the flavor is caused by the modification of the texture of porridge grains.
[3] Container-filled porridge in which hydrogen is contained in porridge grains and / or heavy water.
[4] The container porridge according to [3], wherein the dissolved concentration of hydrogen in porridge and / or heavy water is 0.1 to 3 ppm.
[5] The container porridge according to [3] or [4], wherein the container has the form of a pouch or a metal can.
[6] The container-filled porridge according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein the porridge is selected from the group consisting of porridge, porridge, ochazuke and risotto.
[7] The container-filled porridge according to any one of [3] to [6], wherein the cereals constituting the porridge include one or more kinds of cereals.
[8] The container-filled porridge according to [7], wherein the cereals are selected from the group consisting of white rice, brown rice and glutinous rice.
[9] The container-filled porridge according to [8], wherein the cereals are white rice, brown rice, or a combination thereof.
[10] The container porridge according to [9], which does not contain salt.

According to the present invention, hydrogen is added without particularly adjusting various conditions (water content, heating time, presence / absence of addition of seasonings such as salt, etc.) that are usually considered when cooking porridge. The texture of the porridge is soft and soft, and it does not crumble easily. The reason why the texture is modified is unknown, but the structure of porridge grains, which are usually dense inside by adding hydrogen, is clearly sparse when cooked in the presence of hydrogen. Changes to. In addition, the size of the porridge itself also expands as a whole, and the number of large porridge tends to increase.

In addition to modifying the texture of porridge grains, it was clarified that hydrogen can also contribute to modifying the flavor of ordinary porridge grains. Although it is not intended to be bound by theory, the addition of hydrogen eliminates the peculiar harshness, bran odor, bitterness and astringency of brown rice, etc., and suppresses the sweetness of white rice, etc. to an appropriate level. It is reasonable to think that this was due to the fact that the structure of the porridge grains changed from dense to sparse, that is, the components responsible for the flavor in the porridge grains flowed out due to the change in the structure. .. However, the causal relationship between texture modification and flavor modification and their mechanism of action have not been completely elucidated at this time.

Hydrogen has been approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as a food additive, and in recent years, hydrogen gas-containing beverages containing hydrogen gas in drinking water have been attracting attention from the viewpoint of health. However, it is not known that hydrogen improves the texture and flavor of porridge grains.

FIG. 1 is an electron micrograph of the comparative example sample 22 in Test Example 8 and the porridge grain cross section of Example sample 22 magnified 200 times.

(Texture and / or flavor improving agent for porridge grains)
The texture and / or flavor modifier of porridge grains according to the present invention contains hydrogen as an active ingredient. The porridge grains to which the texture / flavor modifier is applied are not particularly limited as long as they are derived from edible cereals, but cereals, which are the seeds of gramineous crops, which are usually used as raw materials for porridges. It is preferable that the fruit is granular. Examples of such cereals include white rice, brown rice, glutinous rice and the like. In addition to the above cereals, millets such as millet, millet, Japanese millet, sorghum, barley, and sorghum, or two or more of these cereals can be used as raw materials for porridge grains, so-called five-grain rice and ten grains. It also includes rice, which is commercially available under the names of 18 grain rice, mixed with white rice and the like in a predetermined ratio. The variety of each cereal is not particularly limited, but cereals that are easily crumbled when the fruit is made into porridge or have a unique odor or the like are preferable as targets of the texture and / or flavor modifier.

When used in the present specification, the modification of the texture of porridge grains differs depending on various conditions such as the grains used, the size of the grains, and the amount of rice cooking liquid used, but porridge grains derived from the same grain. In comparison with, it means that each grain is significantly softer and less likely to crumble. That is, it is intended in the present invention to modify the texture so that the porridge grains can be felt firmly when put in the mouth, while the porridge grains are soft and soft and do not easily remain in the mouth when chewed. Further, since the porridge grains also tend to expand more than usual, the change in texture due to such expansion is also included in the modification.

In such evaluation of texture, the softness and resistance to collapse of porridge grains can be evaluated by a sensory test, but it is not always necessary to perform a sensory test. For example, the cross-sectional shape of porridge grains can be observed with an electron microscope. , The size of the whole porridge grain or the total volume of the porridge grain can be substantially substituted for the sensory evaluation. The presence or absence of shape loss may be evaluated, for example, by comparing the shape and weight of the grains with those of ordinary ones.

As used herein, flavor reforming means any aroma or taste reforming achieved with hydrogen, as compared to porridge cooked under normal conditions without hydrogen. To do. Alternatively, although not intended to be bound by theory, the flavor modification in the present invention can also be expressed as a change in flavor due to a change in the structure of porridge grains.

In the case of porridge made mainly of brown rice, the flavors to be modified include unpleasant tastes such as a peculiar bran odor, astringent taste, and bitter astringent taste. In addition, the "weight of aftertaste" used in the present specification means the overall strength of the flavor of porridge that remains in the mouth after chewing and swallowing the porridge. On the contrary, a light aftertaste means a refreshing taste as a whole. If the unpleasant odor or unpleasant taste inherent in a particular cereal is significantly reduced due to the added hydrogen, it can be evaluated that the flavor has been modified. Evaluation of flavor can be performed by a sensory test.

The origin of hydrogen as an active ingredient and the method for producing the same are not limited, and for example, a commercially available product can be preferably used. Hydrogen may be contained in water (rice cooking liquid) as a material for cooking porridge, but ordinary water does not contain hydrogen. Therefore, hydrogen may be added to water during or before cooking, for example, to ordinary water used for cooking, or hydrogen water may be used as a material instead of ordinary water (book). In the specification, water containing hydrogen is simply referred to as "hydrogen water"). Instead of water, a seasoning liquid such as soup stock, milk such as soy milk and milk, and a plant extract such as vegetables and fruit juice to which hydrogen is added can also be used as a rice cooking liquid.

The amount or concentration of hydrogen is also appropriately adjusted according to the desired texture and flavor, and is not particularly limited. The hydrogen concentration can be adjusted, for example, by the method using the hollow fiber module described in Japanese Patent No. 5746411. According to this method, hydrogen dissolved in the porridge can be retained for a long period of time, and thus the desired effect can be easily achieved.

(Container porridge)
The container porridge according to the present invention contains hydrogen. Hydrogen is intended to be contained in porridge and / or heavy water, but may be contained in the headspace of the vessel. As long as hydrogen exerts a desired effect during cooking, the concentration of hydrogen in the porridge after cooking is not particularly limited.
For example, hydrogen may be contained in porridge grains and / or heavy water in an amount of 0.1 or more, preferably 0.2 to 3 ppm, more preferably 0.25 to 2.5 ppm, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 2.0 ppm. However, the hydrogen dissolved in the porridge gradually decreases over time, especially depending on the type of container used. For example, the best-by date of retort pouch products is usually about 1 to 2 years from the date of manufacture, but since the hydrogen concentration in the contents naturally changes depending on the container used and the elapsed time from manufacture, container porridge Hydrogen may not be contained in the porridge after a certain period of time has passed since the production of the porridge. In addition, the concentration of hydrogen remaining in the contents of the container decreases even after opening, but it may remain immediately after opening. For example, when a certain amount of hydrogen remains even after 3 hours of opening. There was also.

Hydrogen is preferably used in the state of being added to water, that is, as hydrogen water for cooking porridge. There is no limitation on the water to which hydrogen is added, and tap water, ion-exchanged water, distilled water, mineral water and the like can be used. Hydrogen water may be used for pretreatment (washing or dipping) of cereals. The weight ratio of cereals and hydrogen water to be cooked depends on the type of cereals used as raw materials and the type of porridge intended as the final product (whole porridge, 7-minute porridge, 5-minute porridge, 3-minute porridge, etc.). Although it can be appropriately set by those skilled in the art, the blending amount of cereals (the amount after cooking, that is, including the water content) in commercially available container porridge is usually around 30 g.

As the cooking method of porridge itself, a common method can be used, and those skilled in the art can adopt any known method for cooking porridge. Taking white rice as an example, white porridge can be prepared by mixing raw rice or cooked rice with hydrogen water as a rice cooking liquid and simmering for a predetermined time.

The porridge used in the present specification is not only general porridge such as white porridge and brown rice porridge, but also cereals and water as the main raw materials regardless of the cooking method, and the finished state of cereals. The concept broadly includes foods and drinks in which grains and heavy water (sol) parts coexist, such as porridge, risotto, bowser, and ochazuke. Etc. As the cereals constituting the porridge, one or more of the above-mentioned cereals can be used alone, or these cereals and millets can be used in any combination. Preferred cereals include white rice, brown rice, glutinous rice and the like. Among these, brown rice, white rice, or a combination thereof is preferable.

The hydrogen concentration in the cooked rice liquid is 0.1 or more, preferably 0.2 to 3 ppm, more preferably 0.25 to 2.5 ppm, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 2.0 ppm. In the case of the hollow fiber method, for example, the amount of hydrogen added increases by increasing the pressure of the hydrogen gas to be supplied, but in consideration of safety and efficiency and removal when the pressure is returned to normal pressure, etc. It is desirable that the upper limit is about 3.0 ppm obtained by the above hollow fiber method. That is, the upper limit value of 3 ppm in such a preferable range is a limitation in the hydrogen production technology, and does not mean that the effect of the present invention is not exhibited by a hydrogen concentration exceeding 3 ppm.

Since the flavor of the container porridge of the present invention is modified, it is not particularly necessary to add a seasoning for reducing the unpleasant odor / unpleasant taste, for example, salt. However, salt may be added to the porridge from the viewpoint of adjusting the flavor of the whole porridge, for example, from the viewpoint of imparting a salty taste. In addition to salt, depending on the type of porridge to be finally produced, seasonings such as soy sauce, miso, amino acids, sugar, soup stock, and other additives that are usually mixed with porridge, and thickening of starch, etc. Agents and other ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables and processed foods, such as eggs, red salmon, and dried plums may be blended.

The container used for cooking is preferably a container that can be sealed so that hydrogen dissolved in the rice cooking liquid can be prevented from being reduced by the heat treatment. Examples of such containers include aluminum pouches and metal cans used for retort foods. From the viewpoint of preventing oxidation or flavor deterioration due to oxygen, the head space of the container should be as small as possible. The amount of oxygen in the headspace can be reduced by means commonly used by those skilled in the art such as nitrogen substitution.

To explain the method of preparing porridge using retort-type container porridge as an example, cereals, hydrogen water as a rice cooking liquid, a seasoning liquid to which hydrogen is added, and optionally ingredients can be added to the capacity of these materials. After being contained in a retort container having a comparable capacity and sealed, the container is heated for a predetermined time to prepare container porridge. The pouch made of aluminum or plastic, which is usually used for such retort-type container porridge, is made of a material having heat resistance, hydrogen is hard to escape, and has an oxygen barrier property. Is preferable. In addition to these properties, a container made of a material having a property of being difficult to permeate hydrogen, for example, the flexible packaging material described in Japanese Patent No. 5746411, can be preferably used in the present invention.

The container used in the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned pouch or the like, and its form is not particularly limited as long as it can contain porridge and hydrogen and can be used for retort foods.

The container-filled porridge of the present invention has a modified texture and flavor of porridge grains, and as a matter of course, when it is heated, it can be eaten deliciously even in a cold state.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples. The present invention is not limited thereto.

1. 1. Production of retort grain porridge In this example, in producing retort grain porridge, samples were prepared according to the following procedure. The setting conditions for each embodiment will be described in each embodiment.

(1) Grains used In this example, the following three types of grains were used.
Polished rice: "Hitomebore" from Miyagi Prefecture (manufactured by Itsuki Sangyo Co., Ltd.);
Brown rice: "Koshihikari" from Ishikawa prefecture (manufactured by Yoneshin Ishikawa Co., Ltd.); and millet rice: commercially available 18-grain rice (product name: grain-rich domestic 18-grain rice source Esby Foods Co., Ltd.) and polished rice Was mixed at a ratio of 9:91.
Eighteen grain rice consists of green soybeans, millet, barley, black rice, black beans, red beans, soybeans, foam, glutinous rice, glutinous rice, red rice, germinated brown rice, hie, oysters, amaranthus, black sesame and white sesame , From the raw material display on the product homepage)

(2) Pretreatment before cooking Each grain was washed with 36 ml of ion-exchanged water three times, and the water was thoroughly drained after washing.

(3) Adjustment of rice cooking liquid Unless otherwise specified, ion-exchanged water (dissolved oxygen of 7.8 ppm) was used as the water used as the raw material of the rice cooking liquid. Examples 10 and 11 used commercially available mineral water (Evian: Evian) diluted 6-fold with ion-exchanged water. Further, the hydrogen added to the rice cooking liquid was produced by the method using the hollow fiber module described in Japanese Patent No. 5746411 (hereinafter referred to as "hollow fiber method"). More specifically, the hollow fiber module (“Nagasep” manufactured by Nagayanagi Kogyo Co., Ltd .: M40μ (6000) or M60μ (4400) is supplied with pure hydrogen gas, and the ion-exchanged water has a flow velocity of about 0.8 L. Hydrogen water containing about 2.0 to 3.0 ppm of hydrogen was produced by passing the liquid at / min and a supply pressure of 0.24 to 0.25 MPa.

(Adjustment of hydrogen concentration)
The hydrogen concentration of the rice cooking liquid was adjusted by mixing ion-exchanged water at a predetermined ratio with the hydrogen water obtained by the hollow yarn method.

(Adjustment of oxygen concentration)
In a rice cooking solution prepared using hydrogen water, the dissolved oxygen in the solution is reduced by containing hydrogen. For some of the samples listed in Table 1 below, in order to confirm that there is no effect of dissolved oxygen, oxygen gas should be blown into the rice cooker in advance and ion-exchanged water adjusted to a predetermined oxygen concentration should be mixed. A rice-cooking solution having an adjusted acidity concentration was used.

(4) Retort container In this example, an aluminum pouch container with a capacity of 250 ml (for retort, self-supporting type: manufactured by Hiroyuki Hosokawa Co., Ltd.) was used as the container for porridge.
The weight of the pretreated grain and the predetermined rice cooking liquid was adjusted so as to be 250 g in total, and the container was sealed by heat sealing so as not to generate head space.

(5) Retort sterilization treatment The grains and rice cooking liquid enclosed in the aluminum pouch container were held in a soaked state for a predetermined time according to the settings of each example, and then retort sterilized. Retort sterilization is performed at 120 ° C. for 4 minutes or higher (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Food Standard D “Container / Packaging Pressurized Heat Sterilized Food” 2. Container / Packaged Pressurized Heat Sterilized Food (6) -2) I went there. After the above sterilization treatment was completed, it was stored at 25 ° C. for a predetermined period according to the settings of each example.

2. 2. Measurement method of each component In this example, each component and its physical properties were measured by the following methods.

(1) Amount of dissolved oxygen The amount of dissolved oxygen (ppm) in the rice cooking liquid was measured using a fluorescent dissolved oxygen meter (model number: HQ30d (manufactured by HACH)).

(2) Hydrogen concentration The hydrogen concentration of the contents after the rice cooker and retort sterilization was measured using a needle-type hydrogen concentration measuring machine (manufactured by Unisense). The hydrogen concentration of the supernatant is measured with the viscous liquid that comes out first by tilting the container immediately after opening the container after retort sterilization, and the amount of hydrogen contained in the porridge grains after retort sterilization is porridge. The sensor installed in the grain measuring machine was pierced into the porridge grain for measurement.

3. 3. Test 1: Verification of sensory evaluation change depending on the presence or absence of hydrogenation for each grain (1) Preparation of sample As the grain, milled rice, millet rice, and brown rice pretreated by the above method were used. As for the rice cooking liquid, ion-exchanged water was used as it was for the comparative example sample, and ion-exchanged water hydrogenated so that the hydrogen content was 2.3 ppm by the above hollow thread method was used for the example sample.

30 g of each grain and 220 g of rice cooking liquid were sealed in a retort container, soaked for about 25 minutes, and then retort heat-treated under sterilization conditions of 126 ° C. × 30 minutes. And Comparative Example Samples 1 to 3'. Each sample after the retort heat treatment was stored at 25 ° C. for 3 months, and then the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated.

Table 1 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation The sensory evaluation was performed on the example sample and the comparative example sample. The sensory evaluation was performed by blindly presenting each sample to six trained panelists selected from researchers belonging to the research and development department of ITO EN Co., Ltd. For each grain, the evaluation score of the comparative example (sample not hydrogenated) was set as the reference score of 0, and the scoring was performed in 1-point increments for each item. Details of the evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2.
Table 3 shows the results of the sensory evaluation performed based on the above evaluation items and evaluation criteria. Each evaluation point is the average value of the panelists' evaluations (rounded to the nearest whole number).

(3) Discussion Regardless of the type of grain, hydrogenation improved both texture and flavor. Specifically, in the case of polished rice, the softness and the weight of the aftertaste were modified, and the sweetness was slightly removed, resulting in a refreshing taste. The same tendency is seen for brown rice and millet rice, and in particular, in the case of millet rice, there is a remarkable effect in suppressing bitterness and astringency, and in the case of brown rice, it is effective in suppressing the astringent taste and bran odor peculiar to brown rice. It was seen.

Although a certain amount of dissolved oxygen is contained in the ion-exchanged water, which is the raw material of the rice cooking liquid, the amount of dissolved oxygen is reduced by adding hydrogen, but it is carried out with Comparative Examples Samples 1 to 3 in Table 3. From the results of comparison with Examples 1 to 3 and Examples 1'to 3', there was no effect on the taste due to the decrease in the dissolved oxygen amount, and the change in texture and flavor due to the addition of hydrogen was the concentration of the dissolved oxygen amount. It can be seen that it is not due to the change in.

4. Test 2: Verification by adjusting the ratio of rice cooker to brown rice and soaking time (1) Preparation of sample The change in sensory evaluation by adjusting the ratio of cooked rice to brown rice and soaking time was verified. The rice-cooking liquid used was ion-exchanged water to which hydrogen was added so that the hydrogen content was 1.7 ppm by the hollow thread method, and ion-exchanged water without hydrogenation was used as the comparative example sample. The rice cooker, the amount of brown rice, and the soaking time were adjusted as shown in Table 4, and the samples subjected to the retort heat treatment under the sterilization condition of 126 ° C. × 30 minutes were referred to as Examples 4 to 6 and Comparative Example samples 4 to 6. did.

After storing each sample at 25 ° C. for 1 month, the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated. Table 4 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation Table 5 shows the results of sensory evaluation of the Example sample and the Comparative Example sample in the same manner as in Example 1. The sensory evaluation shows the evaluation points when the comparative example sample having the same number is set to 0.

(3) Discussion Significant modification of texture and flavor was observed by hydrogenation in all the sample examples. The weight ratio of brown rice to the rice cooking liquid (brown rice / rice cooking liquid) was 0.14 in Example sample 4 and 0.10 in Example samples 5 and 6, but the larger the weight ratio of brown rice, the larger the porridge. There was a tendency for it to become softer. No significant difference was found in other sensory evaluations. Further, in Examples 5 and 6, the immersion time was changed, but no significant difference was observed in the sensory evaluation.

5. Test 3: Verification by adjusting sterilization conditions and hydrogen concentration of rice cooker (1) Preparation of sample We verified the influence of the difference in hydrogen concentration of rice cooker, hydrogenation method, and raw water of rice cooker on sensory evaluation. The rice cooking liquid is ion-exchanged water to which hydrogen is added so that the hydrogen content becomes 1.7 ppm and 0.3 ppm by the hollow thread method (Examples 7 to 9), and commercially available mineral water (manufactured by Evian) is ion-exchanged. A hydrogenated product diluted 6-fold with water using an electrolytic saturated hydrogen generator (MEM-1500 aquela blue (manufactured by Ecomo International Co., Ltd.) to hydrogenate the hydrogen concentration to 1.6 ppm (Example sample 10). And commercially available mineral water (manufactured by Evian) hydrogenated to a hydrogen content of 1.6 ppm by the hollow thread method (Example sample 11) was used. 26 g of brown rice was used for all grains, whereas this was used. 224 g of water was added to each sample. The immersion time was about 25 minutes as in Test 1. Comparative Example Samples 7 and 8 were the same as those of Example Samples 7 and 8 except that hydrogen was not added. After storing at 25 ° C. for 2 days, the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated.

Table 6 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation Table 7 shows the results of sensory evaluation of the Example sample and the Comparative Example sample in the same manner as in Test 1. The evaluation of Example sample 7 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 7 is set to 0, and the evaluation of Examples samples 8 to 11 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 8 is set to 0. Is shown.

(3) Discussion Significant modification of texture and flavor was observed by hydrogenation in all the sample examples. The shorter the sterilization time, the more pronounced the modification of softness and taste. In addition, no significant difference was observed in the difference in sensory evaluation due to the difference in the raw material water of the rice cooking liquid, but the higher the hydrogen concentration, the higher the reforming effect was confirmed.

6. Test 4: Verification by adjusting sterilization conditions (1) Sample preparation The effect of adjusting retort sterilization conditions on sensory evaluation was verified. The rice cooker used was ion-exchanged water hydrogenated so that the hydrogen content was 1.9 ppm by the hollow fiber method, and the sterilization conditions were adjusted to 126 ° C. × 21 minutes and 126 ° C. × 10 minutes. As for the grains, 30 g of brown rice was used, and 220 g of water was added to each. The immersion time was about 25 minutes as in Test 1. Comparative Examples Samples 12 and 13 were the same as those of Example Samples 12 and 13 except that hydrogen was not added to each of them. After storing each sample at 25 ° C. for 2 weeks, the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated.

Table 8 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation Table 9 shows the results of sensory evaluation of the Example sample and the Comparative Example sample in the same manner as in Test 1. The evaluation of Example sample 12 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 12 is 0, and the evaluation of Example sample 13 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 13 is 0. ing.

(3) Discussion Significant modification of texture and flavor was observed by hydrogenation in all the sample examples. It was confirmed that the difference in sterilization conditions did not significantly affect the sensory evaluation.

7. Test 5: Verification when seasoning was added to rice cooker (1) Preparation of sample The effect of seasoning added to rice cooker was verified. One bag of "Ochazuke Nori" (manufactured by Nagatanien Co., Ltd.) in a rice cooker adjusted to have a hydrogen content of 1.9 ppm by the hollow thread method in ion-exchanged water (one serving: salt, sugar, kelp powder, A rice cooker containing hail, seaweed, and seasonings (including amino acids) was used as a rice cooking solution (Example sample 14). Comparative Example sample 14 was the same as Example sample 14 except that hydrogen was not added. As for the grains, 30 g of brown rice was used, and 220 g of water was added to each. The immersion time was about 25 minutes as in Test 1. The sterilization condition was set to 126 ° C. ×× 10 minutes.

After storing each sample at 25 ° C. for 2 weeks, the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated.

Table 10 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation Table 11 shows the results of sensory evaluation of the Example sample and the Comparative Example sample in the same manner as in Test 1. The evaluation of Example sample 14 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 14 is set to 0.

(3) Discussion When a seasoning was added to the rice cooker, it was difficult to evaluate the sweetness due to the salt contained in the rice cooker, but the addition of hydrogen suppressed the salty taste and made it refreshing, and other Significant differences were also found in the functional items.

9. Test Example 6 (Verification of porridge grain condition)
(1) Sample preparation / evaluation Similar to Comparative Example Samples 7 and 8 and Example Samples 7 and 8 prepared in Test 3, in the absence and presence of hydrogen, except that the sterilization time and hydrogen concentration are partially different. In the brown rice porridge cooked in (Comparative Example Samples 17 and 18, Example Samples 17 and 18 in order), the number of porridge grains remaining in a predetermined ratio without losing its shape as compared with the grains before cooking. And its shape were visually verified. Put all the cooked samples into the beaker once, stir the porridge lightly with a spoon, place 10 g of porridge grains on a 6-mesh (3.35 mm) filter, and add ion-exchanged water (23 ° C to 24 ° C). In addition, it was kept submerged for 2 minutes. In addition, "a predetermined proportion of residual residue without breaking the grain shape before cooking" means that there is no cracking or chipping from the shape of the rice grain before cooking. That is, even when the grains swelled by absorbing water during cooking, those without cracks or chips (or few) and the shape of the rice grains remaining at a predetermined ratio were included in this verification.

At that time, the porridge on the mesh was lightly dispersed with a spoon in a flooded state to remove the sol portion. Then, the porridge grains on the filter were collected and visually evaluated.

Table 12 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Discussion It was found that the proportion of larger particles remaining in the example sample was higher than that in the comparative example sample without hydrogen addition. Although the softness was improved as compared with the comparative example sample, large grains remained, indicating that the rice was fluffy and soft while maintaining the shape of the rice.

10. Test Example 7 (Verification of solid content)
(1) Sample preparation / evaluation Prepared in Comparative Example Sample 7, Example Sample 7, and Test Example 4 prepared in Test Example 3 except that the weight and sterilization time of brown rice and rice cooking liquid were partially different. Similar to Comparative Example Sample 12, Example Sample 12, Comparative Example Sample 13, and Example Sample 13, brown rice porridge after cooking in the absence and presence of hydrogen (in order, Comparative Example Sample 19, Example Sample 19, In Comparative Example Sample 20, Example Sample 20, Comparative Example Sample 21, and Example Sample 21), the amount of porridge other than the sol portion (heavy water portion), that is, the amount of porridge grains remaining in the solid state is as follows. Measured in the procedure. Put all the cooked samples into the beaker once, stir the porridge lightly with a spoon, take 200 g of porridge on a 20 mesh (0.85 mm) filter, add ion-exchanged water (23 to 24 ° C), and add 2 Submerged for minutes.

In the flooded state, it was lightly dispersed with a spoon to remove the sol portion (heavy water portion). Then, the water was thoroughly drained, and the mixture was added to a 300 ml graduated cylinder and allowed to stand for about 10 minutes. After adding 100 ml of ion-exchanged water and leveling the liquid level while removing air, the total amount of the liquid and the amount of the precipitated portion were visually read from the memory of the measuring cylinder, and the amount of the precipitated portion was taken as the solid content.

Table 13 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Discussion It was confirmed that the amount of precipitated solids, that is, the proportion of constituent parts other than the sol, was larger in the example sample than in the comparative example sample without hydrogen addition. From this, it was found that hydrogenation makes it easier for porridge grains to remain in a solid state.

11. Test 8: Verification of porridge grains by SEM (scanning electron microscope) (1) Preparation of sample Comparative example sample 18 prepared in Test Example 7 and comparative example sample 18 prepared in Test Example 7 except that the weight and sterilization time of brown rice and rice cooking liquid are partially different. Under the same conditions as in Example Sample 18, brown rice porridge after cooking in the absence and presence of hydrogen (Comparative Example Sample 22, Example Sample 22 in that order) was obtained.

(2) Preparation of sample for observation In Comparative Example Sample 22 and Example Sample 22, porridge grains whose grain shape did not collapse were selected and taken out, the endosperm portion was cut in the minor axis direction with a shaving sword, and the sample was sampled with liquid nitrogen. Frozen (low vacuum cryo observation sample (LV cryo)). The cut cross section was observed with a scanning electron microscope (manufactured by JEOL Ltd .: JSM-IT300) under the following conditions.
Acceleration voltage: 5kV to 10kV
Observation: Reflected electron image (low vacuum mode)
Observation magnification: 50 to 500 times At each magnification, the difference in the internal structure of the porridge grains depending on the presence or absence of hydrogen was visually confirmed.

FIG. 1 shows cross-sectional photographs of the porridge grains of Comparative Example Sample 22 and Example Sample 22 magnified 200 times.

(2) Discussion As shown in Fig. 1, in Comparative Example sample 22 without hydrogenation, the inside of the porridge grain is in a state of being clogged with solid matter, whereas the bubbles are elongated and small ones are partially distributed. Inside the porridge grains of the hydrogenated Example sample 22, large hollow bubbles were distributed over the entire imaging range as compared with the Comparative Example sample 22. All of the porridge grains that were subjected to electron microscopic observation were selected so that their appearance did not deteriorate, but it became clear that the cavities inside the grains increased due to hydrogenation.

From this, when hydrogen was added, the size of the porridge granules expanded slightly, but the overall shape was maintained, and the texture became soft and fluffy, supporting the results of the sensory evaluation.

12. Test Example 9: Verification of retort container (1) Preparation of sample The change in sensory evaluation caused by the difference in the container was verified. In this test example, a metal can container (TULC (registered trademark) can: manufactured by Toyo Seikan Co., Ltd.) having a capacity of 190 ml was used as the retort container. The rice cooker used was ion-exchanged water hydrogenated so that the hydrogen content was 2.4 ppm by the hollow fiber method, and the sterilization conditions were adjusted to 126 ° C. × 30 minutes. 20 g of brown rice was used for each grain, and 140 g of water was added to each grain. The immersion time was about 25 minutes as in Test 1. Comparative Example sample 23 was the same as Example sample 23 except that hydrogen was not added to each sample. After storing each sample at 25 ° C. for 2 days, the container was opened and the hydrogen concentration of the contents was immediately measured and sensory evaluated.

Table 14 shows the preparation conditions and measurement results of each sample.

(2) Sensory evaluation Table 15 shows the results of sensory evaluation of the Example sample and the Comparative Example sample in the same manner as in Test 1. The evaluation of Example sample 23 shows the evaluation points when the evaluation of Comparative Example sample 23 is set to 0.

(3) Discussion Significant modification of texture and flavor was observed by hydrogenation in the example samples. It was confirmed that the difference in the retort container did not significantly affect the sensory evaluation.

13. Summary When hydrogen is added to the rice cooker, the porridge grains of the porridge become soft and soft as a whole, and despite this, the grains tend to be less likely to crumble, but the flavor (salty, weight of aftertaste, etc.) It was confirmed that the odor) tended to be modified. The sweetness also tended to be slightly weaker, but this was linked to the modification of the weight of the aftertaste, and it was confirmed that the overall softness and flavor were modified by hydrogenation. .. Rice cooker Even if the hydrogen water production method, raw water, and sterilization conditions are changed, if the hydrogen concentration is secured above a certain level, the effect of modifying the sensory evaluation by hydrogenation will be exhibited to the same extent. It was confirmed. In the examples, it was confirmed that the sweetness of the porridge grains tended to be slightly weakened due to hydrogenation, but the change in the sensory evaluation of sweetness with and without hydrogenation did not necessarily correlate with the change in the Brix value in the porridge. Since this was not the case, it is considered that the change in sweetness according to the present invention is also caused by factors other than Brix.

Claims (9)

A cavity increasing agent inside porridge grains, which contains hydrogen water that has not been degassed under reduced pressure. Hydrogen is contained in the porridge grains and / or heavy water, the dissolved concentration of hydrogen in the porridge grains and / or heavy water is 0.1 to 3 ppm, and the cavity ratio inside the porridge grains is the same except that hydrogen is not added. Sealed container porridge, which is increased in comparison with the porridge grains and the container has the form of a pouch or a metal can. The sealed container-filled porridge according to claim 2, wherein the porridge is selected from the group consisting of porridge, porridge, ochazuke and risotto. The sealed container porridge according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the cereals constituting the porridge include one or more kinds of cereals. The sealed container porridge according to claim 4, wherein the cereals are selected from the group consisting of white rice, brown rice and glutinous rice. The sealed container porridge according to claim 5, wherein the cereals are white rice, brown rice, or a combination thereof. The sealed container porridge according to claim 6, which does not contain salt. A method for producing sealed container porridge, which comprises a step of sealing hydrogen water and grains that have not been degassed under reduced pressure in a container having the form of a pouch or a metal can, and heating the sealed container. Only, the cavity ratio inside the produced porridge grains is increased compared to the porridge grains produced in the same manner except that hydrogen is not added , the method. Sealed container A method of increasing the cavity ratio inside porridge grains of porridge, in which hydrogen water and grains that have not been degassed under reduced pressure are sealed in a container having the form of a pouch or a metal can. A method comprising the step of heating a container.