METHOD FOR PRODUCING FOOD MATERIAL, AND FOOD MATERIAL

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for producing food material for retorting, and to food material for retorting produced by the method, the method comprising: a curing step for mixing one or more base material, selected from the group consisting of meat and seafood, with a curing agent containing phosphate and starch, and curing; and a step for heating and sterilizing the base material by heating at the temperature of 110-130 C. for 10-60 minutes.

Claims

1. A method for producing food material for retorting, comprising: a curing step for mixing one or more base material selected from the group consisting of meat and seafood with a curing agent comprising phosphate and starch, and curing; and a sterilization step for sterilizing the base material by heating at a temperature of 110-130 C. for 10-60 minutes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the curing agent comprises complex phosphate and starch contained in a weight ratio of 5:5 to 2:8.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the curing step comprises curing at a temperature of 3-15 C. for 1-13 hours using a curing agent in an amount of 0.05-1.5 wt % (w/w) relative to the weight of the base material.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the curing step, a blanching step for blanching the base material by any one or more methods among a two-step blanching via sequential heating at low temperature and at high temperature, oil blanching, and steam blanching.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the two-step blanching comprises: a primary blanching, which is performed in water at a temperature of 60-90 C. for 2 to 12 minutes; and a secondary blanching, which is performed in water at a temperature of 95-100 C. for 1-10 minutes after the primary blanching.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil blanching is performed in oil at a temperature of 110-150 C. for 20-100 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam blanching is performed by heating with steam at a temperature of 85 C.-110 C. for 20-100 seconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the base material of meat is one or more selected from pork, beef, chicken, duck, turkey, and lamb; and the base material of seafood is one or more selected from fishes including squid, octopus, small octopus, shrimp, crab, clam meat and fish such as cod, pollack, yellow corbina, mackerel, spanish mackerel, and saury.

9. A food material for retorting produced by: a curing step for mixing one or more base material selected from the group consisting of meat and seafood with a curing agent comprising phosphate and starch, and curing; and a sterilization step for sterilizing the base material by heating at a temperature of 110-130 C. for 10-60 minutes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of hardness and water loss rate of a food material according to curing conditions.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the results of hardness and water loss rate of a food material according to a blanching step.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the results of hardness and water loss rate of a food material according to blanching conditions.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail to allow for a clearer understanding of the present invention. However, the following examples are provided for easier understanding of the present application, and the present application is not limited to the following examples.

EXAMPLES

Preparation Example 1: Method of Pretreating Raw Meat and Seafood for Texture Improvement by Application of Food Additive Curing and New Blanching Process

[0038] The representative production process of heated meat and seafood for texture improvement by the application of a food additive curing and new blanching process of the present application is as follows.

[0039] (1) Processes of Sorting Raw Material, Washing, and Fine Cutting

[0040] In order to remove contaminants (e.g., dust and foreign substances) attached to the surface of base material such as meat (e.g., beef, pork, and chicken), poultry, shellfish, mollusks (e.g., shrimp, squid, and small octopus), etc., they were washed first with clean water and then cut to prepare as base materials.

[0041] (2) Curing Process

[0042] To the base materials which had undergone selection, washing, and cutting were added each of complex phosphate, edible baking soda, modified starch, trehalose, and cooking oil in an amount of 0.1-1.0% (w/w) alone or in combination relative to the total weight, considering the target level of texture, and stored in a refrigerated state at 5 C. for 12 hours.

[0043] (3) Blanching Process (Two-Step Blanching, Oil Blanching, and Steam Blanching)

[0044] The base materials which had undergone the curing step were subjected to a blanching process (a two-step blanching, oil blanching, and steam blanching heating), and thereby a protein state in which tissue can be softened even after high-temperature heating was constituted.

[0045] In a case where a two-step blanching was applied, the base materials were added to water or a solution, in which edible baking soda was added in an amount of 0.3% (w/w) relative to the weight of water, and subjected to a sequential heating condition of low and high temperature heating, in which the mixture was heated in water at 75 C. for 7 minutes followed by heating at 95 C. for 3 minutes.

[0046] In a case where oil blanching was applied, the base materials were added to a cooking oil at about 130 C. and subjected to blanching heating for about 60 seconds.

[0047] In a case where steam blanching was applied, the base materials were heated with steam at 100 C. for 90 seconds.

[0048] After the blanching treatment, the base materials were subjected to a cold water shower until the central temperature of the base materials reached about 55 C.

[0049] (4) Packaging and Heat Sterilization (Retort, Etc.)

[0050] The base materials which had undergone curing and blanching were each cooked by heating after mixing with other solid base materials (e.g., vegetables, etc.) and various kinds of sauces (e.g., Korean, Western, Japanese, Chinese styles, etc.) according to the menu, and then packaged as a finished product into a heat-resistant pouch or tray packaging material for retort made of a multi-layered packaging material, which consisted of polypropylene, aluminum, nylon, etc. having heat resistance to high temperature, a light- and oxygen blocking property, and flexibility, in an amount of 200-500 g, subjected to heat sterilization at 90-121 C. for 10-60 minutes, and prepared into processed foods that can be distributed refrigerated or at room temperature.

Experimental Example 1: Confirmation of Effects of Curing Step

[0051] To confirm the effects of the curing step of the present application on base materials of meat and seafood, the curing step was performed/not performed under the conditions described in Table 1 according to the production method of Preparation Example 1. The mechanical hardness and the water loss rate of the prepared food materials are shown in Table 1 and FIG. 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Confirmation of effects of curing step Chicken Pork Beef Squid Water Water Water Water Meehanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Method of Base Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Material Treatment (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) Curing Step 19.60 28.00 16.70 30.00 29.40 35.00 24.50 33.00 Not Included - Retort Curing Step 16.70 24.00 14.20 25.00 25.50 30.00 20.60 28.00 (Phosphate 100%) - Retort Curing Step 15.20 18.00 11.00 19.00 20.30 24.00 17.20 22.00 (Phosphate 70% + Starch 30%) - Retort Curing Step 8.50 10.00 7.80 15.00 14.70 20.00 11.80 17.00 (Phosphate 50% + Starch 50%) - Retort Curing Step 6.20 6.00 5.10 7.00 10.50 14.00 7.30 12.00 (Phosphate 30% + Starch 70%) - Retort Curing Step 7.40 8.00 6.40 9.00 11.90 16.00 9.20 12.00 (starch 100%) - retort Curing Step 7.80 10.00 6.90 14.00 13.70 19.00 10.80 17.00 (Phosphate 50% + Starch 50%)- Retort Untreated

[0052] As can be confirmed in Table 1 and FIG. 1, when the curing step of the present application was included for all of the base materials, compared to the food materials which had undergone retort without a curing step, it was confirmed that the mechanical hardness was decreased and the water loss rate was reduced thereby improving the texture. In particular, when the curing was performed by mixing phosphate with starch instead of using phosphate alone, the mechanical hardness and water loss rate were further improved and thus the texture at a level similar to the mechanical hardness and water loss rate before the retort treatment were achieved thereby being capable of maintaining the texture of base materials even at the time of retort sterilization for mass production.

[0053] Additionally, when the curing was performed by mixing phosphate (30%) and starch (70%), the mechanical hardness was decreased by about 63% and the water loss rate was decreased by about 64%. Therefore, it was confirmed that the curing step where phosphate (30%) and starch (70%) were mixed and used as a curing agent showed the most excellent texture improving effect.

Experimental Example 2: Confirmation of Effects of Blanching Step

[0054] (1) Confirmation of Effects of Blanching

[0055] To confirm the effects of the blanching step of the present application on base materials of meat and seafood, the blanching step was performed/not performed under the conditions described in Table 2 according to the production method of Preparation Example 1. The mechanical hardness and the water loss rate of the prepared food materials are shown in Table 2 and FIG. 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Confirmation of effects of blanching step Chicken Pork Beef Squid Water Water Water Water Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Method of Base Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Material Treatment (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) 1) Blanching Untreated - 21.0 31 18.5 34 31.8 37 25.9 34 Retort 2) Existing Blanching 19.1 29 17.4 30 27.5 34 24.1 31 (Heating in Water for Long Hours) - Retort 3) Two-step Blanching 15.7 24 13.9 25 24.5 27 21.9 26 (Low Temperature Hot Water .fwdarw. High Temperature Hot Water) - Retort 4) Surface Blanching 13.0 20 11.7 20 21.0 23 18.5 22 (Steam) - Retort 5) Surface Blanching 9.8 17 8.2 16 19.4 20 15.7 19 (Oil) - Retort

[0056] As can be confirmed in Table 2 and FIG. 2, when the blanching step of the present application was included for all of the base materials, compared to the food materials which had undergone retort without a blanching step, it was confirmed that the mechanical hardness and the water loss rate were reduced thereby improving the texture. In particular, compared to the existing blanching, when the two-step blanching and surface blanching (steam and oil) were performed, it was confirmed that the mechanical hardness and water loss rate were decreased thereby further improving the texture.

[0057] (2) Confirmation of Conditions for Optimal Blanching

[0058] Through the above experiment, it was confirmed that the blanching step of the present application had a texture-improving effect. To confirm the blanching conditions (temperature and time) showing the most excellent effect, the blanching step was performed under the conditions described in Table 3 according to the production method of Preparation Example 1. The mechanical hardness and the water loss rate of the prepared food materials are shown in Table 3 and FIG. 3.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Confirmation of optimal blanching Chicken Pork Beef Squid Water Water Water Water Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Method of Base Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Material Treatment (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) 1) Two-Step Blanching 15.7 24 13.9 25 24.5 27 21.9 26 (75 C., 7 Min .fwdarw. 95 C., 3 Min) 2) Surface Blanching 13.0 20 11.7 20 21.0 23 18.5 22 (Steam, 100 C., 30 Sec) - Retort 3) Surface Blanching 14.5 24 9.1 18 17.3 21 20.0 24 (Steam, 100 C., 1 Min 30 Sec) - Retort 4) Surface Blanching 9.8 17 8.2 16 19.4 20 15.7 19 (Oil, 130 C., 30 Sec) - Retort 5) Surface Blanching 11.5 19 7.4 13 15.1 17 17.3 20 (Oil, 130 C., 1 Min 30 Sec) - Retort

[0059] As can be confirmed in Table 3 and FIG. 3, it was confirmed that in order to have an optimal texture through low mechanical hardness (associated with a soft meat texture) and minimization of water loss rate (associated with the amount of meat juice retention), it is preferred that the two-step blanching be performed at 75 C. for 7 minutes followed by at 95 C. for 3 minutes, whereas the steam blanching be performed at 100 C. for 30 seconds and the oil blanching be performed at 130 C. for 30 seconds.

Experimental Example 3: Confirmation of the Effect of the Preparation Method of the Present Application

[0060] To confirm the texture-improving effect of the production method of the present application through the curing step and the blanching step of the present application, the curing step and the blanching step were performed under the conditions described in Table 4 based on the production method of Preparation Example 1. The mechanical hardness and the water loss rate of the prepared food materials are shown in Table 4 below.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Confirmation of the effect of the production method of the present application Chicken Pork Beef Squid Water Water Water Water Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Mechanical (Meat Juice) Method of Base Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Hardness Loss Rate Material Treatment (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) (N/cm.sup.2) (%) 1) Curing and 21.0 31 17.5 34 31.8 37 25.9 34 Blanching Untreated - Retort 2) Curing 16.7 24 14.2 25 25.5 30 20.6 28 (Phosphate 100%) - Existing Blanching - Retort 3) Curing 4.9 4 3.7 3 7.0 11 5.2 9 (Phosphate 30% + Starch 70%) + Surface Blanching (oil) - Retort

[0061] As can be confirmed in Table 4, when the curing step and the blanching step of the present application were performed for all of the food materials, compared to the food materials which had undergone retort without the curing step and the blanching step, it was confirmed that the mechanical hardness and the water loss rate were reduced thereby having a texture-improving effect.

[0062] However, it was confirmed that the food material which had undergone the curing (phosphate 30%+starch 70%) and the surface blanching (oil) of the present application showed that the mechanical hardness was decreased by about 73% and the water loss rate was decreased by about 76% thereby implementing a significantly smooth texture.