WO2024181072A1 - Fat mass composition, meat substitute, method for producing fat mass composition, and method for producing meat substitute - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are: a fat mass composition containing a plant-based oil and fat, a polyvalent metal salt of an ion-exchanged polymer, and a gelled article of glucomannan; a meat substitute; a method for producing a fat mass composition; and a method for producing a meat substitute.

Description

Fat chunk composition, meat substitute, method for producing fat chunk composition, and method for producing meat substitute

The present disclosure relates to a fat chunk composition, a meat substitute, a method for producing a fat chunk composition, and a method for producing a meat substitute.

Fat contained in meat has elasticity and a unique texture in which oil and fat oozes out when chewed. The properties of fat are a factor that greatly affects the texture, flavor, etc., of meat when eaten.
In recent years, from the viewpoint of maintaining health, attempts have been made to refrain from consuming livestock meat and to consume meat foods made from vegetable proteins derived from plants such as soybeans (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "alternative meat"). In order to make the texture and flavor of alternative meat closer to that of livestock meat, attempts have been made to include ingredients having a texture similar to that of fat in the alternative meat. Accordingly, development of ingredients having a texture similar to that of fat has been underway.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 6265121 proposes "an oil-in-water emulsion soy protein gel food obtained by gelling an oil-in-water emulsion slurry containing 10 to 60% by weight of oil droplets having a particle size of 50 μm to 800 μm, wherein the planar occupancy rate of the oil droplets having a diameter of 50 μm to 800 μm is 10 to 60%, a gel made of a non-myosin gelling material exists as a continuous phase, and the gel is cross-linked by a protein cross-linking enzyme."
JP 2014-87316 A describes a food product similar to unheated animal tissue having the following characteristics (A) to (D).
(A) The food contains vegetable protein, fats and oils, and water, and the fats and oils are dispersed in an incompletely emulsified state;
(B) The food contains a protein that has been intermolecularly cross-linked by the action of a protein cross-linking enzyme;
(C) the food product is a gel-like tissue;
(D) It has been heat-treated."
Japanese Patent Publication No. 1860/1974 proposes "a method for producing artificial adipose tissue, characterized in that an alkaline salt of alginic acid, an inhibitor, fat and an alkaline earth metal salt are mixed and reacted to form an alginate gel base tissue incorporating fat."

However, conventional food ingredients that have a texture similar to that of fat have been inadequate for recreating the texture similar to that of fat contained in meat.
Therefore, an objective of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a fat chunk composition having a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat, and a meat substitute comprising a fat chunk composition having a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat.

The present disclosure includes the following aspects.
<1> Vegetable oil and fat,
A polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer;
A fat mass composition comprising a gelled product of glucomannan.
<2> The fat mass composition described in <1>, wherein the ionically crosslinkable polymer is alginic acid or LM pectin.
<3> A fat block composition described in <2>, in which the vegetable oil is covered with a polyvalent metal salt of alginic acid or LM pectin and a gel of glucomannan.
<4> A fat block composition according to any one of <1> to <3>, having a toughness of 1000 gw·cm/cm2 ^or more and 10000 gw·cm/ ^cm2 or less in a multiple bite test.
<5> A red meat-like portion containing protein;
A meat substitute comprising the fat chunk composition described in any one of <1> to <4>.
<6> The alternative meat described in <5>, which contains soy protein powder at the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat block composition.
<7> The alternative meat according to <5> or <6>, wherein the red meat-like portion is spongy or fibrous.
<8> A step of emulsifying a vegetable oil and an aqueous solution containing an ionically crosslinkable polymer to obtain an emulsion;
A step of mixing the emulsion with a solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide to obtain a mixed liquid;
A method for producing a fat chunk composition comprising the step of heating the mixed liquid.
<9> A method for producing an alternative meat described in any one of <5> to <7>, comprising a step of attaching powdered soy protein to a part of the fat chunk composition obtained by the manufacturing method described in <8>, and contacting a red meat-like part containing protein with the area of the fat chunk composition to which the powdered soy protein has been attached.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a fat chunk composition having a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat, a method for producing the fat chunk composition, and a meat substitute containing a fat chunk composition having a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat and a method for producing the meat substitute.

1 is a prototype of a meat substitute according to the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment that is an example of the present disclosure will be described. These descriptions and examples are merely illustrative of the embodiment, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
In the present specification, the upper or lower limit of one numerical range may be replaced with the upper or lower limit of another numerical range. In addition, in the present specification, the upper or lower limit of the numerical range may be replaced with a value shown in the examples.
Each component may contain multiple types of the corresponding substance.
When referring to the amount of each component in a composition, if the composition contains multiple substances corresponding to each component, the amount refers to the total amount of those multiple substances present in the composition, unless otherwise specified.
The term "process" includes not only independent processes, but also processes that cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes as long as the intended effect of the process is achieved.
As used herein, a combination of two or more preferred aspects is a more preferred aspect.

<Fat chunk composition>
The fat mass composition of this embodiment contains vegetable oil, a polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer, and a gel of glucomannan.
The fat chunk composition according to the present embodiment has a texture similar to that of fat contained in livestock meat due to the above-mentioned composition. The reason for this is presumed to be as follows.

The fat lump composition contains a vegetable oil and a polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer, so that a hardened material containing fatty oils and fats can be obtained in the fat lump composition. The fat lump composition further contains a gel of glucomannan. The glucomannan gel exhibits elasticity similar to that of fat contained in livestock meat. Furthermore, the structure of the fat lump composition breaks down when chewed, causing the fatty oils and fats contained therein to seep out.
From the above, the fat block composition according to the present disclosure has elasticity and has the property of causing fats and oils to seep out when chewed.

As a result, the fat chunk composition of this embodiment has a texture similar to that of fat contained in livestock meat.

(Vegetable oils and fats)
Examples of vegetable oils include rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, and coconut oil.
Vegetable oils and fats refer to those obtained using plants as raw materials.

The melting point of the vegetable oil is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, between -20°C and 300°C.

The melting point of the fat or oil is a value measured by a thermal analysis measuring device.
As the thermal analysis measuring device, for example, SSC5000DSC200 manufactured by Seiko Electronic Industries Co., Ltd. can be used.
The melting point of the oil or fat is measured by adding 3 mg of a sample to the apparatus and raising the temperature at a rate of 3° C./min.

The vegetable oil content is preferably 1% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, based on the total fat mass composition.

The vegetable oil may be one type or a combination of two or more types.

(Polyvalent metal salt of ionically crosslinkable polymer)
By "ionically crosslinkable polymer" is meant a polymer that crosslinks upon reaction with ions.
Preferably, the ionically cross-linkable polymer is an edible ionically cross-linkable polymer.
Here, "edible" means the property of not having adverse effects on human health when orally ingested.

The ionically crosslinkable polymer may be a polysaccharide having at least one group selected from ^the group consisting of a carboxy group, a carboxylate anion group ( ^--COO.sup.- ), a sulfo group, and a sulfonate anion group ( _{--SO.sub.3.sup.-} ).
Examples of the ionically crosslinkable polymer include alginic acid, carrageenan, LM pectin, HM pectin, gellan gum, etc., and at least one selected from the group consisting of alginic acid and LM pectin is preferred.
It should be noted that "LM" is an abbreviation for "Low methoxyl" and "HM" is an abbreviation for "High methoxyl."

The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the ionically crosslinkable polymer (an aqueous solution containing 1% by mass of the ionically crosslinkable polymer relative to the entire aqueous solution) is 0.01 mPa·s or more and 3000 mPa·s or more.
The viscosity is preferably 0.1 mPa·s or less, more preferably 0.1 mPa·s or more and 2000 mPa·s or less, and further preferably 1 mPa·s or more and 1000 mPa·s or less.

The viscosity of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of the ionically crosslinkable polymer is measured using a viscometer. The measurement conditions are, for example, as follows.
<Conditions>
Viscometer: TVB10 type (Toki Sangyo)
Measurement temperature: 20°C

From the viewpoint of increasing the affinity with the gelled glucomannan and producing a fat block composition having a texture more similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat, it is preferable to use alginic acid or LM pectin as the ionically cross-linkable polymer, and it is even more preferable to use alginic acid.
Alginic acid is a type of polysaccharide, which is a dehydrated polymer of mannuronic acid and its isomer, glucuronic acid.
Polyvalent metal salts of alginic acid are salts in which ionic bonds are formed between the carboxylate anion ( ^-COO- ) of alginic acid and a polyvalent metal ion. Since the polyvalent metal ion forms ionic bonds with multiple carboxylate anions, the polyvalent metal salts of alginic acid have a structure in which alginic acid is crosslinked via the polyvalent metal ions.

The polyvalent metal ion is preferably a metal ion having an ionic valence of divalent or higher.
Examples of polyvalent metal ions include divalent metal ions such as calcium ion, magnesium ion, iron (II), copper (II), zinc ion, and manganese ion; and trivalent metal ions such as aluminum ion and iron (III) ion.
From the viewpoint of obtaining a fat block composition having a texture similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat, it is preferable that the polyvalent metal ion is at least one selected from calcium ions, magnesium ions, and zinc ions, and it is more preferable that the polyvalent metal ion is calcium ions.

Examples of polyvalent metal salts of ionically cross-linkable polymers include calcium alginate, calcium carrageenan, LM pectin calcium, HM pectin calcium, gellan gum calcium, etc., with calcium alginate and LM pectin calcium being preferred.

The content of the ionically cross-linkable polymer is preferably 0.001% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 4% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less, based on the total fat mass composition.

Polyvalent metal ions can be obtained, for example, by stirring an aqueous solution containing a monovalent metal salt of alginic acid, such as sodium alginate, in an aqueous solution containing polyvalent metal ions.

(Glucomannan gel)
Glucomannan is a type of konjac (Amonphophallus konjac), which is a type of konjac that is grown in the Araceae family.
It is a polysaccharide isolated from the rhizome of the plant, Cannabis sativa (Konnjac), and is composed of glucose and mannose.
Specifically, glucomannan is a polysaccharide in which D-glucose and D-mannose are bonded via β-1,4 bonds in a ratio of 2:3.

Glucomannan is dissolved in water and gelled by adding alkali.
The fat mass composition according to the present disclosure comprises a glucomannan gel obtained as described above.
Here, the glucomannan gel refers to one that contains at least glucomannan and water and behaves as an elastic solid.

The glucomannan content is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 7% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 6% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less, based on the total fat mass composition.

The content of the glucomannan gel is preferably 10% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, based on the total fat mass composition.

(Other additives)
The fat mass composition may contain additives other than the vegetable oil, the polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer, and the glucomannan gelatinized product.
Examples of other additives include seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, colorants, color formers, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc.
The content of the other additives is preferably from 0 to 10% by mass.

(Embodiments of fat chunk composition)
The fat mass composition preferably comprises vegetable oil covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.
Here, the phrase "vegetable oil is covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan" means that the gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan contains vegetable oil inside to the extent that the vegetable oil does not seep out.
Fat contained in livestock meat contains fat cells containing fats and oils inside. By configuring the fat chunk composition according to the present disclosure as described above, the structure of the fat chunk composition becomes similar to the structure of the fat contained in livestock meat, and the fat chunk composition is likely to have a texture more similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat.

It is more preferable that the vegetable oil is dispersed in large numbers in the fat mass composition in a nearly spherical form (hereinafter referred to as "oil droplets").

The fat contained in livestock meat is composed of numerous fat cells. Therefore, the fat contained in livestock meat contains numerous oil droplets. By configuring the fat chunk composition according to the present disclosure as described above, the structure of the fat chunk composition becomes similar to the structure of the fat contained in livestock meat, and the fat chunk composition is more likely to have a texture similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat.

(Hardness of fat mass composition)
The hardness of the fat block composition is evaluated by its toughness in a multiple bite test. The toughness in the multiple bite test is preferably from 1000 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ) to 10,000 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ), more preferably from 1500 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ) to 8,000 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ), and even more preferably from 2000 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ) to 6,000 (gw·cm/ ^cm2 ).
By setting the hardness of the fat block composition (toughness in a multiple bite test) within the above numerical range, the fat block composition tends to have elasticity similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat. Therefore, the fat block composition tends to have a texture more similar to that of the fat contained in livestock meat, and tends to have a good chewability.

The toughness in the multiple bite test is a value measured by a viscoelasticity tester. As the viscoelasticity tester, for example, a Tensipressor MyBpy2 system manufactured by Takemoto Denki Co., Ltd. can be used.
The method for measuring toughness in the multiple bite test will now be described in detail.
The toughness is measured by the multiple bite test. The sample is cut into a size of 30 mm square and 5 mm thick. The sample is set on the stage of the viscoelasticity tester and measured three times under the measurement conditions of the multiple bite test. The average value is taken as the measured value.

<Meat substitutes>
The substitute meat preferably has a lean meat-like portion containing protein and a fat mass composition.
Here, as the fat chunk composition, the fat chunk composition already described is applied.

(Red meat part)
The lean meat-like portion refers to the portion of the alternative meat that corresponds to the portion that looks like lean meat.
The lean meat-like portion preferably contains protein, and, if necessary, contains fats and oils, binders, and other additives.

-protein-
The lean portion contains protein.
The protein preferably contains at least one of a vegetable protein and an animal protein, and more preferably contains a vegetable protein.

Vegetable protein is protein obtained from plants.
The vegetable protein is not particularly limited as long as it is a protein extracted from a plant. Examples of sources of vegetable proteins include grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rice, and corn; beans such as soybeans, peas, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, mung beans, and lupins; nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, flaxseed, sesame, rapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, and sunflowers; tubers such as potato, sweet potato, mountain yam, Jerusalem artichoke, and cassava; vegetables such as asparagus, artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli, and edamame; fruits such as bananas, jackfruit, kiwi fruit, coconut, avocado, and olives; mushrooms such as mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, and maitake mushrooms; and algae such as chlorella, spirulina, euglena, nori, kelp, wakame seaweed, hijiki, tengusa, and mozuku seaweed. Among these, from the viewpoint of obtaining a raw meat-like meat substitute having an appearance and texture similar to that of a chunk of meat, the origin of the edible protein is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of wheat, soybeans, peas, and rice, and more preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of soybeans and wheat.
The vegetable protein may contain a protein derived from one type of plant, or may contain proteins derived from two or more types of plants.

Animal protein is a protein obtained from an animal. The animal protein may be obtained from an animal, or a protein having the same amino acid sequence as the protein obtained from an animal may be produced by cell culture or enzyme reaction and extracted.
The animal protein is not particularly limited as long as it is a protein obtained from an animal, and examples of the animal protein include collagen, gelatin, keratin, fibroin, sericin, casein, conchiolin, elastin, protamine, egg yolk protein, and egg white protein.
The animal protein may contain only one type, or may contain two or more types.

In order to obtain a raw meat-like meat substitute having a texture closer to that of whole meat, it is preferable that the protein has a muscle-like tissue.
Here, muscle-like tissue refers to tissue that has a structure similar to a bundle of fibers and can be split into fibers in a certain direction.
Red meat of livestock originates from muscle. And muscle is composed of muscle fiber bundles. Therefore, red meat of livestock has a structure like a fiber bundle. By having the protein contained in the red meat-like portion of the raw meat substitute according to this embodiment have muscle-like tissue, it is possible to produce the texture brought about by the presence of muscle fiber felt when eating livestock meat.

As a method for making a protein have a muscle-like structure, a method of extruding a protein (water or the like may be added together with the protein, if necessary) using an extruder can be mentioned.
By extruding a protein while applying a shear stress in the extrusion direction, the protein has a structure similar to a bundle of fibers aligned in the extrusion direction of the extruder, and has a texture that can be split into fibers in the extrusion direction of the extruder.

The protein content of the entire red meat-like portion is preferably 50% to 100% by mass, more preferably 60% to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 70% to 90% by mass.

-Oils and fats-
The lean meat-like portion may contain fats and oils.
The oil or fat may be contained in a liquid state, or may be contained in a solid state by a method such as gelation or emulsification.
Examples of the oils and fats include vegetable oils and fats, animal oils and fats, and the like.
Examples of the vegetable oil include the same ones as those mentioned in the description of the fat mass composition.
Examples of animal fats and oils include beef tallow, lard, whale fat, and fish oil.

The fat content in the red meat-like portion is preferably 0% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 0% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, based on the entire red meat-like portion.

- Binding agent -
The lean meat-like portion preferably contains a binder as necessary.
When the red meat-like portion contains a binder, the red meat-like portion can easily maintain a unified shape.

The binder is not particularly limited as long as it is edible and can maintain the shape of the red meat-like portion.
Examples of the binder include proteins, thickening polysaccharides, starch, enzymes that harden proteins, etc. The binders may be used alone or in combination.
The protein used as the binder may be the same as or different from the protein contained in the lean meat-like portion.

Examples of proteins used as binders include vegetable proteins and animal proteins.
Examples of vegetable proteins used as binders include proteins derived from wheat, soybeans, rice, and the like.
Examples of animal proteins used as binders include milk proteins and egg whites.
Examples of enzymes that harden proteins include transglutaminase, etc. Commercially available transglutaminase products can be used, such as the Activa (registered trademark) series manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

Thickening polysaccharides include, for example, carrageenan, xanthan gum, pectin, locust bean gum, curdlan, guar gum, tragacanth gum, gum arabic, gellan gum, tamarind seed gum, cassia gum, tara gum, alginic acid, agar, glucomannan, soybean polysaccharides, gelatin, pullulan, psyllium, chitosan, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, dextrin, etc.

Examples of starches include wheat starch, cassava starch, rice starch, glutinous rice starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, sago starch, potato starch, kudzu starch, lotus root starch, mung bean starch, sweet potato starch, waxy potato starch, waxy cassava starch, waxy wheat starch, etc.

The content of the binder contained in the red meat-like portion is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, based on the entire red meat-like portion.

-Other additives-
The lean meat-like portion preferably contains other additives other than the protein, fats and oils, and binders, as necessary.
Examples of other additives include water, seasonings, acidulants, bittering agents, spices, sweeteners, antioxidants, colorants, color formers, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, etc.
The content of the other additives is preferably from 0 to 20% by mass.

(Embodiment of red meat-like portion (1))
The lean portion is preferably spongy or fibrous.
By making the lean meat-like portion spongy or fibrous, it becomes easier to produce a raw meat-like substitute that has a texture similar to that of a chunk of meat.

In this context, "spongy" refers to a porous structure that appears isotropic, while "fibrous" refers to a fibrous structure that appears anisotropic.

The term "isotropic porous structure" refers to a structure in which the pore shape of any cross section is approximately elliptical and is approximately the same regardless of the direction.
The anisotropic fiber structure refers to a structure in which the pore shape in the cut section varies depending on the direction, being generally elliptical or generally fibrous.

The protein contained in the lean meat-like portion is preferably produced by adding raw material protein and water to an extruder and kneading and extruding. The temperature conditions for kneading and extruding are preferably above the boiling point of water, so that when the mixture is extruded to atmospheric pressure immediately after kneading, the protein swells due to the boiling of water, has a porous structure, and the lean meat-like portion becomes spongy.
On the other hand, if shear stress is applied immediately after kneading, the proteins tend to be oriented in a fibrous form, and the red meat-like portion becomes fibrous.

An example of a method for controlling the lean meat-like portion to be fibrous is to control the protein contained in the lean meat-like portion by using or not using a die when extruding the protein from an extruder.
For example, when a die is used to extrude the protein contained in the lean meat portion from an extruder, the lean meat portion tends to become fibrous.
A specific method for producing the lean meat-like portion will be described later.

The lean meat-like portion is spongy or fibrous, resulting in a raw meat substitute that has a texture closer to that of a whole piece of meat.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of producing a raw meat-like meat substitute having a texture similar to that of whole meat, it is further preferable that the lean meat-like portion is fibrous.

(Aspects of Alternative Meat)
It is preferable to contain soy protein powder at the interface between the lean meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition.
This composition improves adhesion between the lean meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition, resulting in a meat substitute that can maintain an appearance more similar to that of livestock meat.

Soy protein powder refers to a powder containing soy protein as the main component.
Here, the term "main component" refers to a soy protein powder containing the relevant component in an amount of 90% by mass or more based on the entire powder.

Examples of soy protein powder include Fujipro FR (manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.), Showa Fresh RF (manufactured by Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.), and Soya Flour FT-N (manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Co., Ltd.).

Whether or not soy protein powder is contained at the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition is determined by observing the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition under a microscope.
Specifically, the procedure is as follows.
The sample is frozen, cut at an angle of 10° to the interface between the lean meat portion and the fat chunk composition, and the interface portion of the cross section is observed under an optical microscope. It is observed that the components of the fat chunk composition and the soy protein powder are mixed.

<Method of producing fat chunk composition>
The method for producing a fat chunk composition preferably includes a step of emulsifying vegetable oil and an aqueous solution containing an ionically cross-linkable polymer to obtain an emulsion (emulsification step), a step of mixing the emulsion with a solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide to obtain a mixed liquid (mixing step), and a step of heating the mixed liquid (heating step).

(Emulsification process)
The emulsification step is a step of emulsifying a vegetable oil and an aqueous solution containing an ionically crosslinkable polymer to obtain an emulsion.
The vegetable oils and fats used in the emulsification step include those already mentioned.

The ionically crosslinkable polymer may be the same as those mentioned above.
The solution containing the ionically crosslinkable polymer is preferably a solution containing a monovalent metal salt of the ionically crosslinkable polymer.
The monovalent metal salt of ^an ionically crosslinkable polymer is a salt in which at least one of a carboxylate anion ( ^--COO.sup.- ) and a sulfonic acid anion group ( _{--SO.sub.3.sup.-} ) contained in the ionically crosslinkable polymer forms an ionic bond with a monovalent metal ion.
As the monovalent metal ion, an alkali metal ion is preferred, a lithium ion, a sodium ion and a potassium ion are more preferred, and a sodium ion is most preferred.
A specific example of the monovalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer is sodium alginate.

The content of the ionically cross-linkable polymer in the aqueous solution is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less based on the total amount of the aqueous solution.

The mass ratio of the vegetable oil to the aqueous solution containing the ionically crosslinkable polymer (mass of vegetable oil/mass of aqueous solution containing the ionically crosslinkable polymer) is preferably 1/5 or more and 5/1 or less.
The method for emulsifying the vegetable oil and the aqueous solution containing the ionically cross-linkable polymer is not particularly limited, and a method of emulsifying a solution containing the vegetable oil and the aqueous solution containing the ionically cross-linkable polymer using an emulsifier is preferred.
Examples of emulsifiers include rotary mixers equipped with propeller-type, anchor-type, paddle-type, or turbine-type stirring blades, static mixers such as static mixers, rotor-stator type emulsifiers such as homogenizers and Clearmix, mill-type emulsifiers equipped with a grinding function, high-pressure emulsifiers such as Manton-Gaulin pressure emulsifiers, high-pressure nozzle-type emulsifiers that generate cavitation under high pressure, high-pressure collision-type emulsifiers such as microfluidizers that apply shear force by colliding liquids together under high pressure, ultrasonic emulsifiers that generate cavitation using ultrasound, and membrane emulsifiers that perform uniform emulsification through fine pores.

When emulsifying the vegetable oil and the aqueous solution containing the ionically crosslinkable polymer, an edible surfactant may be added.
Examples of edible surfactants include glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, and lecithin.
When the surfactant is added, it is preferable to add the surfactant so that the content of the surfactant in the entire emulsion is 0.1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

The emulsion is preferably an oil-in-water emulsion, since it is easy to form a structure in which the vegetable oil is covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

(Mixing process)
The mixing step is a step of mixing the emulsion obtained through the emulsification step with a solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide to obtain a mixed liquid.

The emulsion obtained through the emulsification process contains an ionically cross-linkable polymer. This compound undergoes an ion exchange reaction in the presence of polyvalent metal ions, producing a cross-linked polymer structure. It is assumed that this reaction mainly takes place during the mixing process.

The content of glucomannan in the solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less, based on the entire solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide.
The content of calcium hydroxide in the solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.02% by mass or more and 0.8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.03% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, based on the entire solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide.

The mass ratio of the emulsion obtained through the emulsification process to the solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide added when preparing the mixed liquid (emulsion obtained through the emulsification process/solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide) is preferably 1/2 or more and 2/1 or less.

As a method for mixing the emulsion obtained through the emulsification step with the solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide, a method in which these solutions are mixed with a stirrer can be mentioned.
Examples of the stirrer include rotary stirrers equipped with propeller-type, anchor-type, paddle-type, or turbine-type stirring blades.

(Heating process)
The heating step is a step of heating the mixed liquid obtained through the mixing step.
The mixture obtained through the mixing step contains glucomannan. The compound gels in the presence of an alkali to produce a gel of glucomannan. It is presumed that this reaction mainly proceeds during the heating step.

In the heating step, the mixed liquid obtained through the mixing step is preferably heated to 80° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower.
The heating time is preferably from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

Specifically, the heating process involves adding the mixture obtained through the mixing process to boiling water and heating it.

It is preferable to produce a fat chunk composition through the above steps.
Furthermore, the fat block composition obtained through the above steps tends to have a structure in which the vegetable oil is covered with a polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer and a gelled product of glucomannan.

<Method of producing alternative meat>
The method for producing the alternative meat preferably includes a step (first step) of contacting the red meat-like portion with the fat chunk composition, and a step (second step) of fixing the mixture using a binder.

(Method of producing lean meat-like portion)
The method for producing alternative meat according to the present disclosure is preferably carried out as follows.

An example of a procedure for producing lean meat-like portions is as follows.
Step (1-1): A lean meat-like raw material containing at least protein is extruded from an extruder, and the extruded lean meat-like raw material is colored red and then molded into a shape similar to that of lean meat of livestock.
Step (1-2): Color commercially available soy meat with a red coloring agent, and mold the colored substitute meat into a shape similar to that of red meat from livestock.
Step (1-3): A raw material of a red meat-like portion containing at least a protein and a colorant is extruded from an extruder, and the extruded red meat-like portion colored red is formed into a shape resembling the shape of a block of red meat.
Step (1-4): Red-colored commercially available soy meat is molded into a shape resembling that of a block of lean meat.
The above steps (1-1) to (1-4) will be described in detail below.

- Procedure (1-1) -
The lean meat-like portion raw material contains at least protein, but from the viewpoint of efficient extrusion of the lean meat-like portion raw material from the extruder, it is preferable that the lean meat-like portion raw material also contains water.
The lean meat-like portion of the raw material preferably contains 2 to 6 parts by mass of water per 10 parts by mass of protein.

Extrusion Conditions The extruder is not particularly limited, and a known single screw extruder, non-intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruder, intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruder, or intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder can be used.

The extruder barrel temperature is preferably 60°C or higher and 100°C or lower in the front half of the barrel (from the raw material supply section for the lean part to the center of the barrel), 90°C or higher and 170°C or lower in the center of the barrel (center of the axial length of the barrel), and 140°C or higher and 180°C or lower in the rear half of the barrel (from the center of the barrel to the tip of the barrel).

The extruder preferably has a die attached to the end of the barrel.
The die is preferably one which results in a sheet-like extrudate.
The gap (lip clearance) of the discharge port of the die is preferably 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The shape of the discharge port may be flat or cylindrical.
The length of the die is preferably 30 mm or more and 500 mm or less.
The die is preferably a cooling die, which means a die that is cooled, for example, by circulating a cooling liquid (such as water or glycol). The cooling may be performed by circulating cooling water or by air cooling.
The use of a cooling die tends to suppress the expansion of the extruded red meat-like portion raw material, and therefore the red meat-like portion produced using the red meat-like portion raw material extruded using the cooling die tends to be fibrous.
When a cooling die is used, the temperature of the discharge port of the cooling die is preferably set to 90° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower.

Molding The extruded lean meat-like portion of the raw material is preferably cut into pieces for use as required.
From the viewpoint of producing a raw meat substitute having an appearance similar to that of a chunk of meat, it is preferable that the length of the extruded red meat-like portion in the extrusion direction of the raw material is 10 mm or more and 500 mm or less, and the length in the direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction is 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

The extruded lean meat raw material is preferably coloured red with a colouring agent.
The coloring agent is preferably an edible red coloring agent.
Examples of coloring agents include natural beetroot red pigment, cochineal pigment, gardenia red pigment, etc., and among these, natural beetroot red pigment is preferred because it fades due to the heat during cooking.

It is preferable to add a binder to the extruded lean meat-like portion raw material, and a seasoning may be added as necessary.
The extruded raw material of the lean meat-like portion is collected in a block form and molded into a shape similar to that of lean livestock meat, thereby producing the lean meat-like portion of the substitute meat.
From the viewpoint of obtaining a substitute meat having an appearance closer to that of livestock meat, when the extruded lean meat-like portions of the raw material are collected in a block, it is preferable to align the extrusion directions of the extruded lean meat-like portions of the raw material in approximately the same direction.

- Procedure (1-2) -
The procedure for producing the lean meat-like portion may involve coloring commercially available soy meat with a red coloring agent and molding the colored substitute meat into a shape that resembles the shape of lean livestock meat.
Soy meat is a food ingredient artificially produced using ingredients containing vegetable protein derived from soybeans, and has a texture similar to that of animal meat.

It is preferable to cut the soybean meat into pieces before use, as needed.
From the viewpoint of obtaining a substitute meat having an appearance similar to that of livestock meat, it is preferable to adjust the size of soy meat by splitting it along a structure similar to the fiber bundles of muscle-like tissues of soy meat, in the case of general commercially available fiberized soy meat. For example, it is preferable to set the length of the soy meat to 10 mm to 50 mm, the width to 2 mm to 8 mm, and the thickness to 1 mm to 5 mm.

The soy meat is preferably coloured red with a colouring agent.
The coloring agent may be the same as those listed in step (1-1).
It is also preferable to add a binder to the soy meat, and seasonings may be added as necessary.
The meat is collected into a lump and molded into a shape similar to that of red meat from livestock, thereby producing the red meat-like portion of the substitute meat.
In order to obtain a substitute meat having an appearance closer to that of livestock meat, when the soy meat is collected into chunks, it is preferable to align the directions of the fiber bundle-like structures of the muscle-like tissue of the soy meat in approximately the same direction.

- Procedure (1-3) -
It is preferable to produce the red meat-like portion in the same manner as in procedure (1-1), except that instead of adding the colorant to the raw material of the red meat-like portion after extrusion molding, the colorant is added to the raw material of the red meat-like portion before extrusion molding.

- Procedure (1-4) -
It is preferable to produce a red meat-like portion in the same manner as in procedure (1-2), except that instead of coloring commercially available soy meat with a coloring agent, soy meat that has already been colored red is used.

(First step)
The first step is to contact the lean meat-like portion with a fat chunk composition.
The method of contacting the lean meat-like portion with the fat chunk composition is not particularly limited, but for example, when producing a substitute meat having an appearance similar to steak meat as shown in Figure 1, it is preferable to mold the lean meat-like portion into a shape similar to the lean meat of steak meat, mold the fat chunk composition into a shape similar to the fat of steak meat, and then contact the lean meat-like portion with the fat chunk composition.

Here, the first step is preferably a step of attaching powdered soy protein to a portion of the fat lump composition, and adhering a red meat-like portion containing protein to the area of the fat lump composition where the powdered soy protein has been attached.

Specifically, when producing a substitute meat that has an appearance similar to steak meat as shown in Figure 1, first, the lean meat-like portion is molded into a shape similar to the lean meat of steak meat, and the fat chunk composition is molded into a shape similar to the fat of steak meat. Next, powdered soy protein is attached to the area of the fat chunk composition that will come into contact with the lean meat-like portion. This is followed by a process in which the protein-containing lean meat-like portion is adhered to the area where the powdered soy protein has been attached.

The meat substitute produced using this process tends to contain soy protein powder at the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition. This makes it easier to obtain meat substitutes with improved adhesion between the red meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition.

(Second step)
The second step is a step of fixing the contact body of the lean meat-like portion obtained in the first step and the fat chunk composition.
As a method for fixing the contact body, for example, there is a method in which the contact body is left stationary while a certain pressure is applied thereto.
Here, when fixing the contact body, the contact body may be entirely coated with a binder and then allowed to stand.
As the binder, those already mentioned can be used, but it is preferable that the binder contains an enzyme that hardens proteins, and it is more preferable that the binder contains transglutaminase.

It is preferable that meat substitutes are produced through the above process.

The following examples are provided, but the present disclosure is in no way limited to these examples. In the following description, all percentages are by mass unless otherwise specified.

Example 1
A fat mass composition was obtained by the following procedure.
(Emulsification process)
300 parts by mass of an aqueous solution containing an ionically crosslinkable polymer, in which the content of sodium alginate (Kimica Algin I-1 manufactured by Kimica) as the ionically crosslinkable polymer was 1% by mass relative to the entire solution, and 200 parts by mass of coconut oil (imported and sold by Alcapia, product name: Pia Cocona) as the vegetable oil were stirred for 1 minute at 600 rpm (revolutions per minute) using a rotary mixer equipped with a propeller-type stirring blade, to obtain emulsion 1.
The viscosity (20° C.) of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of sodium alginate was 71.1 mPa·s.

(Mixed solution)
As glucomannan, 50 parts by mass of konjac flour (glucomannan) manufactured by Asahi Foods Industries Co., Ltd. was dissolved in 1620 parts by mass of water and left for 30 minutes. After that, a dispersion of 3 parts by mass of calcium hydroxide in 180 parts by mass of water was added to this solution and thoroughly stirred to obtain a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide (gelated glucomannan).
To the emulsion 1, 500 parts by mass of a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide was added, and the mixture was stirred with a stirrer to obtain a mixed gel 1. The mixed gel 1 contains, in addition to the gel of coconut oil and glucomannan, a calcium salt of sodium alginate (a polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer).

(Heating process)
After leaving the mixed gel 1 for 1 hour, the mixed gel 1 was added to boiling water and heated for 5 minutes. Then, the solid content was taken out to obtain a fat chunk composition 1.
Fat block composition 1 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

Example 2
Fat block composition 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that LM pectin (manufactured by Unicook Foods, product name Milky Ribbon) was used instead of sodium alginate as the ionically cross-linkable polymer.
Fat block composition 2 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a polyvalent metal salt of LM pectin and a gelled product of glucomannan.
The viscosity (20° C.) of a 1% by mass aqueous solution of LM pectin was 3.13 mPa·s.

Example 3
Fat block composition 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 250 parts by mass of a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide was added to 750 parts by mass of emulsion 1 and stirred with a stirrer to form a mixed gel.
Fat block composition 3 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

Example 4
Fat block composition 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 333 parts by mass of a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide was added to 667 parts by mass of emulsion 1 and stirred with a stirrer to form a mixed gel.
Fat block composition 4 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

Example 5
Fat block composition 5 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 667 parts by mass of a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide was added to 333 parts by mass of emulsion 1, and stirred with a stirrer to form a mixed gel.
Fat block composition 5 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

Example 6
Fat block composition 6 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 750 parts by mass of a gel containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide was added to 250 parts by mass of emulsion 1 and stirred with a stirrer to form a mixed gel.
Fat block composition 6 had a structure in which vegetable oil was covered with a gel of polyvalent metal alginate and glucomannan.

<Comparative Example 1>
75 parts by mass of a protein suspension having a defatted soybean (Fujipro FR manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) content of 15% relative to the total solution, and 25 parts by mass of coconut oil (imported and sold by Alcapia Co., Ltd., product name: Pia Cocona) as a vegetable oil were stirred at 600 rpm for 1 minute using a rotary mixer equipped with a propeller-type stirring blade, to obtain emulsion 2.
A crosslinker liquid (10% by weight aqueous solution of Supercard manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.) was added to the emulsion 2, and the mixture was hardened at 55°C for 30 minutes, followed by an enzyme inactivation treatment at 90°C for 30 minutes to obtain fat block composition C1.

<Example 101>
The substitute meat was obtained by the following procedure.

(Preparation of lean meat-like portion precursor)
- Preparation of lean meat-like raw materials -
Defatted soy flour (Showa Fresh RF, Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.) as a protein and wheat gluten (PRO-Glu 65, Torigoe Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) as a protein were mixed in a mass ratio of 7:3 to obtain mixed powder 1.
The screw length was 1100 mm and the maximum temperature at the tip of the screw was set to 155°C. A cooling die with a length of 350 mm (die width: 50 mm) was attached to the discharge section of the twin-screw extruder.
A cooling die (lip clearance: 3 mm) was attached, and the outlet temperature of the cooling die was stabilized at 105° C. Mixed powder 1 was introduced into the extruder at 250 g/min, and discharged from the extruder while adding water in an amount of 50% by mass of the mixed powder 1 to the extruder, to obtain Raw material 1 of a lean meat-like portion having muscle-like tissue in the extrusion direction (fibrous).

- Preparation of lean meat-like precursors -
The lean meat-like portion of raw material 1 was boiled in 3 L (liters) of boiling water for 10 minutes and then drained.
The red meat-like portion of raw material 1 was cut into a length of 300 mm and torn along the fiber direction to a width of about 5 mm. The raw material was colored red using beet extract (Sanei Gen FSI) as a coloring agent, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg were rubbed in as seasonings to obtain strip-shaped fibrous soy protein 1.
Then, 30 g of Supercard (transglutaminase manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.) and 30 g of Fujipro FR (soybean flour manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) were added as binders to 300 g of the strip-shaped fibrous soybean protein 1, and mixed uniformly to obtain a lean meat-like portion precursor A.

(Preparation of fat chunk composition)
The mixed gel 1 obtained in Example 1 was molded, one side of it was sprinkled with defatted soybean flour (Fujipro FR manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.; powdered soybean protein) and the surface was lightly kneaded, and the mixture was left to stand for 1 hour, then placed in boiling water for 5 minutes and cooled to obtain fat block composition 101.

(Production of meat substitutes)
The fat chunk composition 1 cut to a 5 mm square cross section was mixed with a part of the lean meat-like portion precursor A, and the lean meat-like portion precursor A mixed with the fat chunk composition 1 was arranged in one direction and stacked, while the fat chunk composition 101 cut to an appropriate size was placed on top of the lean meat-like portion precursor A so that the surface coated with defatted soybean flour faces the textured soybean protein of the lean meat-like portion precursor A. At this time, the defatted soybean flour is present at the interface between the lean meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition 101. Next, the whole was shaped to resemble a block of sirloin steak, and pressure was applied for 2 hours to form the block of meat-like food 1. The block of meat-like food 1 was cut to a thickness of 25 mm perpendicular to the fiber direction to obtain a steak-like marbled raw meat substitute 1 (substitute meat).
A photograph of the obtained meat substitute is shown in Figure 1.

<Example 102>
Except for using commercially available fibrous soy meat (Vegetarian Butcher, What the Cluc) instead of the lean meat-like raw material 1, the lean meat-like precursor and the substitute meat were prepared in the same manner as in Example 101, and a steak-shaped marbled raw meat-like substitute meat 2 was obtained.

<Example 103>
The same procedures as in Example 101 were used to prepare a lean meat precursor and a substitute meat, except that instead of the lean meat-like raw material 1, commercially available spongy soy meat (Apex-1000 manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) that had been rehydrated in hot water for 10 minutes was used, and a steak-like marbled raw meat-like substitute meat 3 was obtained.

<Comparative Example 101>
Except for not performing (preparation of fat block composition) in <Example 101> and changing the procedure for (preparation of substitute meat) as follows, the same procedure as in Example 101 was followed to prepare a lean meat-like portion precursor and a substitute meat, thereby obtaining a steak-like marbled raw meat-like substitute meat C1.

(Production of meat substitutes)
The fat chunk composition C1 cut into a 5 mm square strip was mixed with a part of the lean meat-like portion precursor A, and the lean meat-like portion precursor A mixed with the fat chunk composition C1 was arranged in one direction and stacked. The whole was then shaped to resemble a block of sirloin steak, and pressure was applied for 2 hours to form the block of meat-like food C1. The block of meat-like food 1 was cut into a thickness of 25 mm perpendicular to the fiber direction to obtain a steak-like marbled raw meat substitute C1 (substitute meat).

<Testing and Evaluation>
The fat block composition and steak-shaped marbled raw meat substitute obtained in each example were cooked on a hot plate. The fat block composition and steak-shaped marbled raw meat substitute after cooking were evaluated as follows.

(Multibyte test)
The toughness in the multiple bite test was measured by the method already described.

(Appearance Evaluation)
Ten panelists visually evaluated the fat-like portions contained in the fat chunk composition or steak-like marbled raw meat substitute meat after cooking, evaluating whether they had an appearance similar to fat derived from cooked livestock meat, and the number of people who evaluated them was then tallied.
The number of people who answered affirmatively was used to evaluate the results according to the following criteria.
-Evaluation criteria-
A: 7 or more people answered affirmatively. B: 5 to 6 people answered affirmatively. C: 4 or less people answered affirmatively.

(Texture evaluation)
Ten panelists ate the fat block composition after cooking or the steak-like marbled raw meat substitute, and evaluated whether it had a texture similar to the elasticity of fat derived from cooked meat and an oily feel in which oil flowed out when chewing, and the number of people who ate it was then tallied.
The evaluation was based on the number of people who answered affirmatively. The evaluation criteria were the same as those for the appearance evaluation.

(Adhesion evaluation when cut)
Ten panelists cut the alternative meat after cooking with a knife. At this time, the cut surface included the interface between the lean meat-like portion and the fat-like portion. After cutting, the alternative meat was evaluated for whether or not the fat-like portion peeled off from the lean meat-like portion, and the number of people who cut the alternative meat was counted.
The evaluation was based on the number of people who answered affirmatively (answered that peeling did not occur). The evaluation criteria were the same as those for the appearance evaluation.

 

The contents of the table will be explained below.
The "polyvalent metal ion species" refers to the polyvalent metal ion contained in the polyvalent metal salt of the ionically crosslinkable polymer.
"Beef fat" indicates that beef fat was used. Note that only the multiple bite test was performed.
"Pork fat" indicates that pork fat was used. Note that only the multiple bite test was performed.
"Presence or absence of powdery body at the interface" indicates whether or not there is a soy protein fraction at the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat chunk composition. If there is a powdery body, it is recorded as "present", and if there is no powdery body, it is recorded as "-".

The above results show that the fat chunk composition and meat substitute of this example have a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat, and contain a fat chunk composition that has a texture similar to the fat contained in livestock meat.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-031435, filed on March 1, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In addition, all documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims (9)

Vegetable oils and fats,
A polyvalent metal salt of an ionically crosslinkable polymer;
A fat mass composition comprising a gelled product of glucomannan. The fat mass composition according to claim 1, wherein the ionically cross-linkable polymer is alginic acid or LM pectin. The fat block composition according to claim 2, wherein the vegetable oil is covered with the polyvalent metal salt of alginic acid or LM pectin and the gel of glucomannan. A fat block composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a toughness in a multiple bite test of 1000 gw·cm/ ^cm2 or more and 10000 gw·cm/ ^cm2 or less. A red meat-like portion containing protein;
The fat mass composition according to claim 1 ,
A meat substitute having the above properties. The meat substitute according to claim 5, which contains soy protein powder at the interface between the red meat-like portion and the fat mass composition. The meat substitute according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the red meat-like portion is spongy or fibrous. A step of emulsifying a vegetable oil and an aqueous solution containing an ionically crosslinkable polymer to obtain an emulsion;
A step of mixing the emulsion with a solution containing glucomannan and calcium hydroxide to obtain a mixed liquid;
A method for producing a fat chunk composition comprising the steps of: heating the mixture. The method for producing the meat substitute according to claim 5, comprising the steps of attaching powdered soy protein to a portion of the fat chunk composition obtained by the method according to claim 8, and contacting a red meat-like portion containing protein with the area of the fat chunk composition to which the powdered soy protein has been attached.