JP7623871B2 - Powdered seasoning mixture - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a powdered seasoning mixture containing two or more types of powdered seasonings.

Powdered seasonings such as salt and various spices may absorb moisture from the air and clump during storage. Agglomerated powdered seasonings are difficult to sprinkle on foods, mix with other powdered seasonings, or dissolve or disperse in liquids. Depending on the type of powdered seasoning, the flavor may be impaired, significantly reducing the commercial value. As a technology that can solve the problems caused by the clumping of powdered seasonings, Patent Document 1 describes an anti-caking food product in which 1 to 15 mass % of fine particles of water-insoluble dietary fiber is added to powdered seasonings including salt, which is easily absorbed by moisture, or water-absorbent spices such as garlic and onion, and wheat fiber is described as an example of the water-soluble dietary fiber. The term "caking" used in Patent Document 1 basically has the same meaning as "clumping" in this specification.

Patent Document 2 describes the inclusion of 1 to 25% by mass of grain bran in tablet-shaped seasonings that contain salt, oils and fats, and cooking flavors. When using tablet-shaped seasonings of a specific shape such as cubes, they are usually crushed with fingers to make them into a powder before use. However, with conventional products, the hardness increases over time after production due to a phenomenon called post-hardening, making it difficult to crush with fingers when using. The technology described in Patent Document 2 is intended to solve this problem, but is not intended to prevent the powdered seasoning from clumping.

Patent Document 3 describes that in order to reduce the odor of meat products such as livestock meat products and fish paste products, heat-treated wheat bran is kneaded into the meat product to contain the heat-treated wheat bran inside the meat product. Patent Document 3 also describes that soft wheat such as Australian Standard White is preferable as a source of wheat bran, and that moist heat treatment can be used as a method for heat-treating wheat bran. Patent Document 3 does not describe the problem of aggregation of powder seasonings.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-84048 Special table 2018-536409 publication JP 2018-50568 A

A powder seasoning mixture containing two or more types of powder seasonings can provide the necessary seasoning to food by itself, and can more easily add flavor and seasoning than when multiple types of powder seasonings that exist individually and independently are used in combination. On the other hand, powder seasoning mixtures are often designed to contain a higher proportion of relatively hygroscopic powder seasonings such as salt, with the aim of imparting a distinctive flavor to foodstuffs with a relatively small amount of use, and as a result, conventional powder seasoning mixtures are prone to aggregation, which can cause problems during production or use. For example, even if a powder seasoning mixture is sprinkled on food and stirred with the intention of applying it uniformly over the entire food, it does not work as intended, and there are inconveniences such as uneven adhesion of the powder seasoning to the food and the presence of aggregates of the powder seasoning in localized areas, and the flavor and taste of the food may not be as expected. Furthermore, when preparing a seasoning liquid by dispersing or dissolving a powdered seasoning mixture in a liquid such as water, the powdered seasoning mixture mixed with the liquid absorbs the liquid and swells, turning into a highly viscous liquid or solid, which can make it impossible to carry out the tasks originally planned using the seasoning liquid, such as applying the seasoning liquid to food ingredients or immersing food ingredients in the seasoning liquid.

Conventionally, methods for preventing powdered seasonings from clumping have been to blend tricalcium phosphate, fine silicon dioxide, and vegetable fibers such as cellulose powder into the powdered seasoning. However, the Food Sanitation Act restricts the amount of tricalcium phosphate and fine silicon dioxide that can be used, and it is difficult to say that these are ingredients that consumers feel are safe using. In addition, cellulose powder is made from wood, which is difficult to imagine as a food ingredient, so there is a risk that consumers will shy away from powdered seasonings that contain this ingredient.

The present inventors have investigated the possibility of wheat bran as an anti-agglomeration agent for powdered seasoning mixtures. Wheat bran is a component derived from wheat, which is widely consumed, and can provide consumers with a sense of security as a food ingredient rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, wheat bran has a hard texture and is difficult to grind, so the particles tend to become relatively large, and it has a unique grain odor, so foods containing it have problems such as a rough texture, a bitter taste, and a strong unpleasant odor. No technology has yet been provided that can solve these problems unique to wheat bran and use it as an anti-agglomeration agent for powdered seasoning mixtures.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a powder seasoning mixture that contains two or more types of powder seasonings, is less likely to clump, and is easy to use.

The present invention is a powdered seasoning mixture that contains two or more types of powdered seasonings, and further contains 1 to 20 mass% of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat.

According to the present invention, a powdered seasoning mixture is provided that contains two or more types of powdered seasonings, but is resistant to clumping and easy to use. The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be applied uniformly to the entirety of various foods due to the action of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, and has excellent solubility and dispersibility in liquids such as water, so it can also be used as a liquid seasoning. Moreover, the bitterness specific to wheat bran is reduced, allowing the original flavor, taste, and texture of the seasoning to be utilized.

The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention contains two or more types of powder seasonings. As the powder seasoning, any seasoning that is powdered at room temperature and normal pressure can be used without any particular restrictions, and the combination of powder seasonings is also not particularly limited, and two or more types of powder seasonings can be appropriately combined depending on the application, the flavor to be provided, etc. The flavor that can be provided by the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention can include any flavor that can be used for seasoning food, and is not particularly limited. Specific examples of flavors that can be provided by the present invention include consomme flavor, white sauce flavor, tomato sauce flavor, curry flavor, Japanese soy sauce flavor, and barbecue flavor.

Specific examples of powdered seasonings include salt; sugars such as sugar, glucose, fructose, dextrin, and the like; fermented seasoning powders such as soy sauce, miso, mirin, and vinegar; amino acid-based umami seasonings; nucleic acid-based umami seasonings; powdered stock; powdered spices such as pepper, ginger, garlic, cumin, nutmeg, and curry powder; powdered extracts such as meat extract, seafood extract, and vegetable extract; powdered oils and fats; grain flours such as wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rice flour, corn flour, barley flour, rye flour, pearl barnyard millet flour, and foxtail millet flour; starches (raw starches) such as tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, wheat starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting raw starches to one or more of the following treatments: gelatinization, etherification, esterification, acetylation, cross-linking, and oxidation.

The content of wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum wheat flour, whole wheat flour, etc.) in the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less based on the total mass of the mixture. If the content of wheat flour in the powder seasoning mixture is too high, the water absorption of the mixture increases, and the mixture may absorb too much moisture from the food to which it is applied, causing the food to have a sticky, undesirable texture.

A preferred embodiment of the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is one containing table salt as the powder seasoning. Table salt is a relatively versatile powder seasoning that can be used to flavor and season various foods, but it is highly hygroscopic and prone to aggregation, so there is concern that problems will arise in terms of uniform adhesion to foods, uniform dispersion or dissolution in liquids, etc., when used as a constituent component of a powder seasoning mixture. However, in the present invention, such concerns are eliminated by using heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, which will be described later, in combination, so that table salt can be used safely as a powder seasoning.
The salt content in the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the use of the mixture, etc., but is preferably 10 to 80% by mass, more preferably 12.5 to 50% by mass, based on the total mass of the mixture. If the salt content is too low, there is little point in using it, and if it is too high, the content of other powdered seasonings will be relatively low, making it difficult to obtain the desired flavor and taste, and aggregation may easily occur, which may cause other inconveniences.

The powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is characterized in that it contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in addition to two or more types of powder seasonings. As a result, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention, while containing two or more types of powder seasonings, is difficult to aggregate, and the mixture alone can easily apply the necessary seasoning to food, making it easy to use. From the perspective of the supplier, the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention, which is difficult to aggregate, is easy to manufacture and package, and from the perspective of the consumer, it is easy to sprinkle on food, mix with food, etc., and can be uniformly attached to the entire food, uniformly dispersed or dissolved in liquid, which are generally preferred. In addition, wheat bran is a familiar food ingredient derived from grains, so consumers tend to have a safe image of it compared to conventionally used anti-aggregation agents such as calcium triphosphate, and it is also inexpensive. On the other hand, wheat bran has a particular unpleasant grain odor and acrid taste, so there is concern that a powdered seasoning mixture containing it may diminish the original flavor of the seasoning. However, in the present invention, such concerns are eliminated by limiting the wheat bran used to "heat-treated" and "derived from white wheat."

The content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in the powder seasoning mixture of the present invention is 1 to 20% by mass, preferably 1 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 3 to 10% by mass, based on the total mass of the mixture. If the content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is less than 1% by mass, there is little point in using it and the desired effects of the present invention may not be achieved, and if the content exceeds 20% by mass, the content of the powder seasoning becomes relatively too low, and it may become difficult to flavor and season foods, which is the original purpose of the powder seasoning mixture.

In this specification, "wheat" refers to the caryopsis of a plant of the genus Triticum in the family Poaceae. Generally, wheat caryopsis (wheat kernel) is roughly divided into the endosperm, the husk (the outer skin and the seed coat), and the germ (the germ). Wheat kernels are crushed, and the endosperm and germ are removed to obtain a fraction derived from the husk, which becomes wheat bran.

As described above, the wheat bran used in the present invention is heat-treated. The heat treatment is not particularly limited as long as it can raise the product temperature of untreated wheat bran to room temperature or higher. Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran include moist heat treatment and dry heat treatment.
The moist heat treatment is a treatment in which the moisture in the treatment target (wheat bran) is maintained or moisture is supplied from the outside to heat the treatment target. In the moist heat treatment, moisture such as water, saturated steam, and superheated steam can be supplied and used. The heating method in the moist heat treatment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method in which moisture is added to the treatment target in a sealed environment, and then a heat medium such as hot air is directly brought into contact with the treatment target, a method in which high-temperature steam is brought into contact with the treatment target and heated by the latent heat of condensation, and a method in which the treatment target is heated in a high-humidity atmosphere.
Dry heat treatment is a process in which the object to be treated (wheat bran) is heated under conditions in which no moisture is added, and is a heat treatment carried out while actively evaporating the moisture in the object to be treated. Dry heat treatment can be carried out, for example, by heating in an oven, heating in a roasting kiln, heating using a thermostatic bath, heating by blowing hot air, or leaving in a high-temperature, low-humidity environment. Note that the process of blowing hot air on wheat bran to which moisture has been added to dry it is not included in dry heat treatment because the latent heat of evaporation of moisture does not sufficiently impart heat to the object to be treated.

Specific examples of heat treatments applied to wheat bran include 1) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a moist heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 80°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "moist heat treatment A"), and 2) a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is subjected to a dry heat treatment to raise the product temperature to 110°C or higher (hereinafter also referred to as "dry heat treatment A").

The moist heat treatment A is a treatment in which the wheat bran to be treated is placed in an enclosed space, saturated water vapor is introduced into the enclosed space, and the product temperature of the wheat bran is maintained at preferably 80 to 98°C, more preferably 85 to 98°C, for preferably 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably 3 to 60 seconds.
The moist heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing wheat bran, which is the material to be treated, and saturated steam into a powder heating device described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2784505, so as to achieve the above-mentioned product temperature and treatment time. This powder heating device is equipped with a cylindrical pressure vessel having an inlet for saturated steam and accommodating the material to be treated, and a stirring means having a plurality of rod-shaped blades on a rotating shaft, the dimensions of which are close to the inner diameter of the cylinder, so as to stir the powder introduced from an inlet arranged at one end of the vessel and transport it toward an outlet arranged at the other end of the vessel.

In the dry heat treatment A, the product temperature of the wheat bran to be treated is preferably 110 to 180 ° C, more preferably 115 to 150 ° C, and the treatment time (the time during which such product temperature is maintained) is preferably 3 to 120 minutes, more preferably 5 to 90 minutes.
Dry heat treatment A can be carried out by introducing wheat bran into an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A, so that the product temperature and treatment time are as described above. This heat treatment stirring apparatus includes a cylindrical container for accommodating the material to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source for supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, and is configured so that heat transfer generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw is transmitted to the material to be treated via the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, thereby performing dry heat treatment.

In the present invention, the most preferred heat treatment for wheat bran is moist heat treatment. In other words, it is preferable that at least a portion of the wheat bran used in the present invention is moist heat treated wheat bran. As shown in the examples described below, moist heat treated wheat bran can reduce the bitterness that is characteristic of wheat bran compared to dry heat treated wheat bran.

Whether wheat bran has been heat-treated can be determined, for example, by measuring the enzyme activity or gluten vitality of the wheat bran to be determined. Specifically, taking enzyme activity as an example, the enzyme activity of heat-treated wheat bran is less than that of unheated wheat bran or is below the detection limit, so the two can be distinguished by the amount of enzyme activity.

As mentioned above, the wheat bran used in the present invention is derived from white wheat. Generally, wheat is roughly divided into two types, red wheat and white wheat, according to the color observed when the wheat grain is visually observed. Red wheat is wheat containing red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat grain is visually observed, it is observed as red, reddish brown or brown. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat containing almost no red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat grain is visually observed, it is observed as white or pale yellow. Examples of white wheat include Australian Standard White (ASW, produced in Australia), Prime Hard (PH, produced in Australia), Soft White (SW, produced in the United States), and Western White (WW, produced in the United States), which are common wheats. An example of white wheat that is not common wheat is durum wheat (produced in various countries around the world). These white wheats can be appropriately selected, for example, by genetic characteristics.
The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from ordinary wheat or from durum wheat. Ordinary wheat is broadly divided into three types according to the hardness of the wheat kernel: hard wheat, soft wheat, and medium wheat having a hardness intermediate between hard and soft wheat. The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention may be derived from any of the ordinary wheats. For example, PH is white wheat and hard wheat, ASW is white wheat and medium wheat, and WW is white wheat and soft wheat.

The wheat bran derived from white wheat used in the present invention can be produced, for example, as follows. That is, selected wheat kernels of white wheat are hydrated and conditioned as necessary, then pulverized, and the pulverized material is sorted using a sifter, purifier, etc. to remove the endosperm and germ, thereby producing wheat bran derived from white wheat. The method for pulverizing wheat kernels is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include roll pulverization and impact pulverization, and a combination of multiple pulverization methods may be used. The pulverizer used for impact pulverization is not particularly limited as long as it pulverizes by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor, and examples thereof include turbo mills and blade mills, with turbo mills being particularly preferred. A preferred example of a method for pulverizing wheat kernels is a method in which roll pulverization and impact pulverization are performed in this order. In this case, the number of times roll pulverization may be one or more.

Among white wheat, ASW is particularly preferred. That is, the wheat bran used in the present invention is particularly preferably moist heat-treated wheat bran derived from ASW. ASW is a type of wheat that is mainly used for noodles (especially udon), and has almost no history of use as an anti-aggregation agent for powdered seasonings. In addition, the main component derived from ASW is the endosperm fraction (wheat flour), and the bran fraction is rarely used. It is difficult to imagine from the technical common sense in this field that the use of the bran fraction of ASW, which has traditionally been used for noodles, in a powdered seasoning mixture would reduce the bitterness specific to wheat bran while preventing the mixture from agglomerating.

The average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing aggregation of the powder seasoning mixture, increasing the productivity of the mixture, and improving uniform adhesion to various foods and uniform dispersion and solubility in liquids to make it more user-friendly, it is preferably 30 to 200 μm, more preferably 40 to 150 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 120 μm. The "average particle size" referred to here refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, "Microtrack Particle Size Distribution Measuring Device 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used to flavor and season various foods. In this specification, "food" includes "dishes" (cooked foods) and "ingredients" used in the preparation of dishes. Specific examples of foods to which the present invention can be applied include ingredients such as rice, noodles, bread, grains, meat, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables; and dishes such as baked dishes, simmered dishes, stir-fried dishes, deep-fried dishes, steamed dishes, salads, and mixed dishes.

The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used for the same purposes as those distributed under the names of premix, seasoning, etc. Specific examples include premixes for seasoning rice foods such as paella, jambalaya, and fried rice; premixes for seasoning prepared foods using various ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables, etc.) such as sweet and sour pork, eight treasures, curry, fried chicken, baked potatoes, marinades, salads, and lightly pickled foods; premixes for pasta sauce; seasonings for pasta; and premixes for soups such as corn soup, cream soup, and Chinese soup. The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is suitable for applications such as powdered pasta sauce, powdered dressing, powdered seasoning mix, and powdered teriyaki sauce. The powdered seasoning mix is used by mixing it with potatoes, snacks, etc.

The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is in a powder form at room temperature and normal pressure, and may be directly attached to food by sprinkling it on the food, or may be mixed with a liquid such as water to prepare a seasoning liquid, which may then be applied to the food or the food may be immersed in the seasoning liquid. The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention may be filled into a container, and an example of such a container is a shaker container having a shaker hole for shaking the contents out. Since the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is difficult to agglomerate, even if it is stored in such a shaker container for a long period of time, an appropriate amount of the mixture, which is the contents, can be shaken out from the shaker hole of the shaker container when used.

The powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be used for preparing ingredients before cooking, seasoning ingredients before cooking or cooked foods, and topping or flavoring cooked foods. In order to take advantage of one of the features of the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention, namely, the ease of uniform adhesion to foods, the mixture is more effective when used at the end of cooking. Specifically, for example, the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be added at the end of the ingredients to be added in the cooking process of the food, or the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention can be added just before eating the cooked food. A preferred example of a method for using the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is a method in which, when producing cooked foods, the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is added to the intermediate product in the heating process of the intermediate product of the cooked food, and the intermediate product is heated for a short period of time (for example, within 3 minutes) to obtain the desired cooked food. Another preferred example of a method for using the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is a method in which the powdered seasoning mixture of the present invention is added to the cooked food and mixed, and the food is not heated thereafter.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Examples A1 to A4 are reference examples.

[Examples A1 to A11 and Comparative Examples A1 to A8: Production of Neapolitan Sauce Powder]
After selecting various types of wheat and grinding them with a roll grinder, wheat bran collected from the ground product was ground by impact grinding using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Tables 1 and 2 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was ground using an impact grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the ground product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected. For Example A7, the bran was classified using a sieve with an opening of 212 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 212 μm that passed through the sieve was collected. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and the components listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" columns in Tables 1 and 2 were mixed to produce a powdered Neapolitan sauce, which is a type of powder seasoning mixture of interest. The "non-heat-treated wheat bran" used in Comparative Example A1 was the same as the heat-treated wheat bran used in Comparative Examples A2 and A3 before heat treatment.

Details of the raw materials used in the production of the powder seasoning mixture are as follows:
・1CW: Western Red Spring 1, Canadian, red wheat ・Domestic red wheat: Kita Honami ・WW: Western White, US, white wheat ・PH: Prime Hard, Australian, white wheat ・ASW: Australian Standard White, Australian, white wheat

Details of each treatment described in the "Heat treatment method" column of each table are as follows.
"Moist heat treatment": The moist heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the powder heating apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 2784505. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, saturated steam was introduced into the container, and the moist heat treatment was carried out under conditions in which the wheat bran product temperature was maintained at 90°C for 5 seconds.
"Dry heat treatment": The dry heat treatment A was carried out using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A. More specifically, the wheat bran to be treated was placed in a cylindrical container (sealed space) provided in the apparatus, and the dry heat treatment was carried out under conditions in which the product temperature of the wheat bran was maintained at 120°C for 25 minutes.

[Evaluation Test 1: Production and Evaluation of Neapolitan Spaghetti]
Spaghetti (manufactured by Nissin Foods, Inc., product name "Ma-Ma Spaghetti", noodle thickness 1.8 mm) was boiled for the recommended time, drained, and 200 g was placed in a deep dish. 25 g of the powdered Neapolitan sauce (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was sprinkled on top of the boiled spaghetti, and the whole was thoroughly mixed with chopsticks to produce Neapolitan spaghetti. The Neapolitan spaghetti immediately after production was eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the adhesion to food (boiled spaghetti) and flavor (harshness) according to the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The values in the "Neapolitan Spaghetti Evaluation" column in Tables 1 and 2 are the arithmetic mean of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

<Evaluation criteria for adhesion to food>
5 points: The powder seasoning is evenly applied to the entire food, and the flavor is consistent and good.
4 points: The powder seasoning is evenly applied to almost the entire food, and the flavor is almost uniform and good.
3 points: Powder seasoning is evenly applied over almost the entire food, but the flavor is somewhat weak.
2 points: Powder seasoning is unevenly applied to some parts of the food, resulting in an uneven flavor.
1 point: Powdered seasoning is locally solidified in the food, resulting in poor flavor.
<Flavor (bitterness) evaluation criteria>
5 points: No bitter taste of wheat bran at all.
4 points: The bitter taste of wheat bran is barely detectable.
3 points: The wheat bran has a slightly bitter taste, but can be eaten without any problems.
2 points: The bitter taste of wheat bran is clearly noticeable.
1 point: The wheat bran has a strong bitter taste that significantly impairs the flavor of the food.

As shown in Table 1, the powdered seasoning mixture of the Examples contains heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat (WW, PH, or ASW), and therefore is superior in both adhesion to food and food flavor compared to the powdered seasoning mixture of the Comparative Example, which does not contain this. It is also clear that moist heat treatment is more preferable than dry heat treatment as a heat treatment method for wheat bran. It is also clear that, among white wheats, ASW is particularly preferable.

表２に示すとおり、実施例の粉末調味料混合物は、白小麦由来の熱処理小麦ふすまの含有量が１～２０質量％の範囲にあるため、該含有量がこの範囲から外れる比較例の粉末調味料混合物に比べて、食品への付着性及び食品の風味の双方に優れていた。

As shown in Table 2, the powdered seasoning mixture of the embodiment has a content of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat in the range of 1 to 20 mass%, and therefore is superior in both adhesion to food and flavor of food compared to the powdered seasoning mixture of the comparative example, in which the content is outside this range.

[Examples B1 to B5 and Comparative Examples B1 to B4: Preparation of Powder Dressings]
After selecting various types of wheat and grinding them with a roll grinder, wheat bran collected from the ground product was ground by impact grinding using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Table 3 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was ground using an impact grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the ground product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was separated. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and each component listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" column in Table 3 was mixed to produce a powder dressing, which is a type of the desired powder seasoning mixture.

[Evaluation Test 2: Salad Production and Evaluation]
Two washed lettuce leaves (60 g) were prepared, torn with fingers into strips of 3-5 cm square, and placed on a plate. 2.5 g of the powdered dressing (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was sprinkled onto the stripped lettuce leaves, and the whole was thoroughly mixed with tongs to produce a salad. The salad immediately after preparation was eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the adhesion to food (lettuce leaves) and flavor (harshness) according to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 3. The values in the "Salad Evaluation" column in Table 3 are the arithmetic mean of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

[Examples C1 to C5 and Comparative Examples C1 to C4: Preparation of Marinade Premixes]
Various types of wheat were selected and crushed in a roll crusher, and the wheat bran collected from the crushed product was crushed by impact crushing using a turbo mill (bran preparation process). The wheat bran thus obtained was heat-treated by the method shown in Table 4 (heat treatment process). Next, the heat-treated wheat bran was crushed using an impact crusher (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and the crushed product was classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm, and the fine bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was separated. This fine bran fraction was used as the heat-treated wheat bran to be blended in the powder seasoning mixture, and each component listed in the "powder seasoning mixture" column in Table 4 was mixed to produce a marinade premix, which is a type of the desired powder seasoning mixture.

[Evaluation test 3: Preparation of seasoning liquid, production and evaluation of chicken tempura]
5g of the marinade premix (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was placed in a stainless steel bowl, 50ml of cold water was added, and the premix was dissolved in the cold water by stirring with a whisk to prepare a seasoning liquid. This seasoning liquid was prepared by two expert panelists, who evaluated the dispersibility of the premix in the liquid (cold water) according to the following evaluation criteria. Raw chicken breast meat was cut into pieces of 25g each, and 250g of the meat pieces were placed in a plastic bag. 55g of the marinade premix (powdered seasoning mixture) to be evaluated was placed in the plastic bag, and the plastic bag was kneaded by hand for 30 seconds, and then left in a refrigerator for 1 hour. A tempura batter was prepared by dissolving commercially available tempura flour (manufactured by Nisshin Foods Co., Ltd.) in 1.5 times the weight of cold water, and the meat pieces taken out of the refrigerator were immersed in the batter and thoroughly mixed, and fried for 4 minutes in soybean white oil heated to 170°C to produce chicken tempura. The chicken tempura immediately after production was eaten by 10 expert panelists, who evaluated the flavor (harshness) according to the above evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 4. The values in the "Chicken Tempura Evaluation" column in Table 4 are the arithmetic mean values of the evaluation points of the 10 expert panelists.

<Evaluation criteria for dispersibility in liquid>
5 points: The powder seasoning was dispersed quickly and the seasoning components were easily dissolved.
4 points: When the liquid was first added, some crystals of the powdered seasoning remained at the bottom of the bowl, but they dissolved with stirring.
3 points: Although lumps were formed at first, they were dissolved by stirring for a long time.
2 points: The powder seasoning mixture absorbed water and became sticky, making subsequent workability somewhat poor.
1 point: The powder seasoning mixture absorbed water, swelled, and became solid, making it difficult to immerse food (pieces of meat) in the mixture.

Claims (4)

A powdered seasoning mixture containing two or more types of powdered seasonings, further containing 1 to 20 mass% of heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat, the white wheat being Australian Standard White . The powdered seasoning mixture according to claim 1, wherein the heat treatment is a moist heat treatment. The powdered seasoning mixture according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran derived from white wheat is 30 to 200 μm. The powdered seasoning mixture according to claim 1 , wherein the powdered seasoning is salt .