Process for activating enzymes in food products by means of electrolysed water

Abstract: An activation method of decomposition enzyme contained in a food material, wherein the food material is brought into contact with electrolyzed water to activate the decomposition enzyme thereby to enhance taste of processed foodstuffs.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of promoting the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes in a food material containing starch. There are various kinds of food materials containing various kinds of decomposition enzymes for decomposing ingredients included therein. For example, a lot of amylase as a starch decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in grains such as rice, barley and the like or potato containing starch as a main component, and a lot of protease as a protein decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in grains such as barley, beans and the like. Furthermore, a lot of lipase as a oil and fat decomposition enzyme is contained as a main component in beans, seafood, beast meat, bird meat, domestic animal meat and the like. In the case that a food material processed in a raw condition is provided as raw foodstuffs or a food material cooked by a heating process is provided as heat-processed foodstuffs, the decomposition enzymes in the food materials decompose ingredients of the food materials and effect to add taste or flavor to the processed foodstuffs. For example, in the case that a food material containing a lot of starch is subjected to a water addition process or a kneading process in a raw condition or subjected to a heating process, a lot of fresh water such as city water is used for processing the food material. In such a processing, starch in the food material is decomposed by amylase contained in the food material to produce monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. The monosaccharides or oligosaccharides are sweetness ingredients which effect to add flavor to the raw foodstuffs or the heat-processed foodstuffs. Similarly, in the case that foodstuffs such as barley, beans or the like containing a lot of protein are processed by heat, the protein is decomposed by proteases as protein decomposition enzymes. In the case that foodstuffs such as various beans, meats, sea foods or the like containing a lot of oil and fat components are processed in a raw condition or processed by heat, the oil and fat are decomposed by a lipases as oil-fat decomposition enzymes to add flavor to the foodstuffs. It is therefore presumed that the activation of decomposition enzymes in the food materials is useful to increase the taste or flavor of the foodstuffs processed in a raw condition or processed by heat. As a method of promoting the activity of the decomposition enzymes in the food materials, there have been proposed a method of adjusting the pH of water used for processing the food materials in an extent of 5 - 6 pH, a method of increasing the concentration of metal ions such as calcium ions, magnesium ions, manganese ions and the like in the water used for processing the food materials, and a method of retaining the food materials added with water for a predetermined a time at 40 °C - 60 °C before processing the food materials. These methods are effective to activate the decomposition enzymes in the food materials in an optimal condition. In the method of adjusting the pH of the water used for processing of the food materials in a range of 5 - 6 pH, a pH adjusting agent is added to the water used for processing the food materials. Addition of the adjusting agent causes difficulties with respect to adjusting the pH of water to a predetermined value prior to each processing of the food materials. It is also required to carefully select the pH adjusting agent and determine an amount of the pH adjusting agent from a viewpoint of health. In the method of increasing the concentration of various ions in the water used for processing the food materials, it is required to precisely measure an amount of metal compounds for addition to the water prior to each processing of the food materials for adjusting the concentration of the metal ions to an optimal value. Although lactic acid calcium, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, manganese chloride and the like can be used as the metal compound, the taste of the processed foodstuffs is deteriorated if the amount of the metal compounds is excessive, and the decompositions enzymes may not be sufficiently activated if the amount of the metal compounds is too small. JP-A-7289178 (PAJ) discloses a method for giving rice a good taste, wherein rice is soaked in acidic water, preferably having a pH of 2.2 to 4, which is formed by electrolysis of tap water or salt added tap water, preferably for at least 90 minutes, until the water content attains 2.7 % by weight based on the raw rice. Then the soaked rice is boiled in alkaline water, preferably having a pH of 7.5 to 9.5 given by the electrolysis. JP-A-8126483 (WPI) relates to a disinfectant and/or preserving agent comprising acidic water, containing at least one of an aliphatic carboxylic acid, kojic acid, phosphoric acid and their sodium and potassium salts. The acidic water is obtained by electrolysis of tap water. The agent is useful as a disinfectant and/or a preservative for medical, dietary and sanitary applications. The agent is also useful to prevent foodstuff from darkening. In an example, wheat bran was suspended under occasional stirring in 200 ml freshly prepared electrolysed water at pH 2.3 containing 0.28 % citric acid for 30 minutes and freeze-dried. JP-A-11009254 (PAJ) discloses a method for producing pregelatinized rice for brewing, which method comprises washing polished rice, immersing the rice in water, steaming the immersed rice and drying the steamed rice. An alkaline water is produced by subjecting water to electrolysis by diaphragm and is used for rice washing and as immersing water. JP-A-11137162 (PAJ) relates to a method for producing a kneaded dough for wheat flour products, which method comprises adding acidic or alkaline water obtained by a diaphragm electrolytic method and adding said water to raw materials mainly composed of wheat flour, and kneading. In said method, neutral water produced by the electrolysis of water without using a diaphragm, or neutral water obtained by mixing the acidic water and the alkaline water is preferably used. JP-A-8131065 (PAJ) discloses a method for suppressing the browning of shredded food of vegetables or fruit, which method comprises reacting shredded food of vegetables or fruit with acidic water at pH ≤ 4 obtained by electrolyzing water, and then heat-treating at a temperature of < 65°C. JP-A-10151460 (PAJ) relates to a processing and treatment method for perishable food like cut vegetable using a pasteurization treatment water, wherein said water is an alkaline or acidic water produced by electrolysation. K. Kobayashi et al., Nippon Jozo Kyokaishi 94(11), 926-932 (1999) (CA 132:35019) describe an investigation of electrolyzed water obtained by electrolyzation of tap water as a means of controlling the solubility of steamed rice. JP-A-11075810 (PAJ) discloses a process for brewing Japanese Sake, wherein in said process steamed rice is used as a starting material and wherein acidic water that is prepared by subjecting water to an electrolysis with a diaphragm is used. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a method of promoting the activity of th decomposition enzymes in food materials containing starch without adding any metal compound for adjustment of the concentration of the metal ions. According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by the method according to claim 1. A further development of the present invention is set out in the dependent claim. For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a graph showing each amount of saccharine components dissolved from rice powder in water treatment based on the method according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing a rice cooking process based on the method according to the present invention; Fig. 3 is a graph showing a sensual evaluation of cooked rice; and Fig. 4 is a graph showing the activation degree of α - amylase in relation to the temperature in the water treatment of the rice powder. Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention will be described, wherein in said method the use of electrolyzed alkaline water is according to the present invention. In the method, a food material containing starch is retained in an amount of electrolyzed water at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to activate starch decomposition enzymes for cooking the food material by heat. The food material used in the method is selected from various kinds of food materials such as vegetable materials grains, potatoes and the like containing a lot of starch, and electrolyzed alkaline water is used as the electrolyzed water for water treatment of the food materials. Alkaline water of 8.0 - 10.0 pH is used for water treatment of the food materials. The alkaline water is produced in a cathode chamber of the electrolyzer. For the production of the electrolyzed water, normal city service water or diluted brine is used as a raw water supplied into the electrolyzer. The food materials are retained in the electrolyzed water for a predetermined time to promote the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes contained therein. In the use of the electrolyzed alkaline water for the processing method, it is desirable that the pH of the alkaline water is determined to be about 8.0 to 10.0 pH. During the production process of the electrolyzed alkaline water, the concentration of metal ions such as calcium ions, magnesium ions, manganese ions or the like increases in an extent of 20% to 30% more than that in the raw water used in the electrolyzer. The increased concentration of metal ions in this extent is useful to promote the activity of starch decomposition enzymes contained in the food materials. During the processing method, the temperature of electrolyzed water is maintained in a range of 20 °C to 70 °C to promote the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes. The promotion effect of the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes at the temperature is added to the activity promotion effect caused by the activity of the electrolyzed water or metal ions in the electrolyzed water. As a result of the promotion of the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes, a portion of the starch in the food materials is decomposed by the enzyme to produce monosaccharides or oligosaccharides whose sweetness ingredient effects to add flavor to heat-processed foodstuffs. Example 1: In this example, an appropriate amount of powder (of 300 µm in particle diameter) of old rice (harvested in Shimane-ken, Japan and stored for one year) was used as a food material containing starch for an experimental water treatment. In the water treatment, city service water of 6.95 pH, acid water of 3.75 pH and alkaline water of 9.25 pH were used. The acid water and alkaline water were produced by an electrolyzed water production apparatus of HOX-40A type (made by Hoshizaki Denki K.K) using service water of Matsue-shi. In the water treatment, the rice powder was added with the water ten times the weight of rice powder and shaken for two hours at a water temperature of 25 °C. Each pH value of the water before and after the water treatment is listed in the following table 1, and each amount of soluble entire sugar and reducing sugar extracted from the rice powder is listed in the following table 2. In addition, each amount of the extracted sugar components is shown in the graph of Fig. 1. The soluble sugar extracted from the rice powder was measured by a phenol-sulfuric acid process, the reducing sugar was measured by Somogyi-Nelson method, and each amount of the sugars was measured by HPLC. [pH of water before and after water treatment] Water Acid water (comparative) Alkaline water City water Before 3.75 9.25 6.95 treatment After 5.63 7.91 6.77 treatment [Extraction of sugar components from rice powder] Extracted Acid water (comparative) Alkaline water City water component (3.75) (9.25) (6.95) Entire sugar 14.2 13.4 12.5 Reducing sugar 3.36 3.10 2.49 From the table 1, the following facts have been found. In the case that the water used for the treatment of the rice powder is the electrolyzed acid water or alkaline water, the pH of the acid water becomes 5.63 most suitable for promoting the activity of starch decomposition enzymes, and the pH of the alkaline water becomes 7.91 most suitable for causing the metal ions such as calcium ions, magnesium ions, manganese ions and the like to promote the activity of starch decomposition enzymes. This means that the rice powder can be cooked by heat at lower or higher pH than that of the city water. The table 2 also indicates the facts that the extracted amount of soluble entire sugar and reducing sugar in use of the acid water or alkaline water increases more than that in use of the city water and that the extracted amount of the sugars in use of the acid water increases more than that in use of the alkaline water. Referring to the graph of Fig. 1 as to the sugar components dissolved from the rice powder, any significant difference in each amount of fructose and sucrose was not found in use of the electrolyzed water and city water, but an amount of glucose dissolved in use of the acid water was more than that in use of the city water whereas an amount of maltose in use of the acid water was less than that in use of the city water. It has been also found that each amount of glucose and maltose dissolved in use of the alkaline water was more than that in use of the city water. From the foregoing facts, it is presumed that the amount of the sugar components extracted in use of the acid water or alkaline water is increased by the fact that each amount of glucose and maltose extracted from the rice powder respectively in the acid water and alkaline water is increased by the function of starch decomposition enzymes contained in the rice powder. At pages 29 - 34 of the publication "Starch Science Vol. 37, No. 1, (1990)", Maruyama et al. reported that two kinds of α-amylase are contained in rice and that the decomposition function of α-amylase becomes most effective in the range of pH 5 to pH 6. During the water treatment using the acid water, the pH of electrolyzed water attains an optimal value suitable for promoting the activity of α -amylase. It is therefore presumed that the activity of starch decomposition enzymes is promoted by the pH effect. Since in use of the acid water, the extracted amount of glucose is increased whereas the extracted amount of maltose is decreased, it is presumed that the activity α-glucosidase is promoted to enhance the activity of starch decomposition enzymes. In use of the alkaline water, the extracted amount of glucose and maltose is increased in spite of a lower pH than the optimal value effective for the decomposition function of α-amylase. In this respect, it has been confirmed by Maruyame et al. that the two kinds α-amylase are activated by calcium ions, magnesium ions, manganese ions and the like. Accordingly, it is presumed that in the water treatment using the alkaline water, the activity of α-amylase is promoted by an increase of cations transferred to the cathode from the anode in the course of the production of the alkaline water. From the foregoing facts, it is presumed that the activity of starch decomposition enzymes is promoted by the pH effect or ion effect when the acid water or alkaline water is used for water treatment of food materials such as rice containing starch. With promotion of the activity of starch decomposition enzymes, starchiness and swelling of the starch are promoted by heat cooking. Example 2: In this example, city water of 6.95 pH, acid water of 3.75 pH and alkaline water of 9.25 pH were used to cook an appropriate amount of old rice stored for one year by a cooking process shown in Fig. 2. The rice and water were the same as those used in the Example 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the rice cooking process comprises the steps of rice washing, immersing the washed rice in the water, adding the water to the immersed rice after draining, heating the immersed rice, steaming the boiled rice, and cooling the steamed rice. During the rice cooking process, the rice was washed with the water two times the weight of rice and was drained. After draining, the washed rice was added with fresh water and immersed in the fresh water at 25 °C for thirty minutes. Thereafter, the immersed rice was drained and added with fresh water 1.5 times the weight of rice. Thus, the rice immersed in the fresh water was heated in an electric rice cooker for eighteen minutes and subsequently steamed for twelve minutes. Finally, the cooked rice was cooled at 25 °C for one and half hours. A change of pH of the used water at each step of the rice cooking process is shown in the following table 3. [pH of the used water at each step of the rice cooking process] Process step Acid water (comparative) Alkaline water City water After washing 6.23 7.46 6.79 After Immersion 6.11 7.06 6.68 After addition of fresh water 5.63 7.91 6.77 From the table 3, it has been found that the pH of electrolyzed acid water and alkaline water used for the rice cooking becomes approximately neutral at the step of rice washing and immersion in the fresh water and becomes more acid and alkaline than the city water at the water addition step. This means that the rice immersed in the acid water or alkaline water is cooked by heat at lower pH or higher pH than that immersed in the city water. [Sensual evaluation] As to the rice cooked by the rice cooking process shown in Fig. 2, a sensual evaluation was conducted by a consumer's panel of twenty persons. The evaluation was made as to six properties such as color, glossiness, hardness, stickiness, taste and synthesis evaluation, and the rice cooked with the city water was evaluated as a standard value "0" in an evaluation extent of + 3 to -3. A result of the evaluation is shown in a graph of Fig. 3, in which a solid line indicates the rice cooked with the acid water, a broken line indicates the rice cooked with the alkaline water, and a dot-and-dash line indicates the rice cooked with the city water. From the graph of Fig. 3, it has been found that the rice cooked with the acid water or alkaline water is more glossy, soft, sticky and tasty than the rice cooked with the city water and is also superior in synthesis evaluation. It is been also found that the rice cooked with the acid water is superior particularly in color more than the rice cooked with the alkaline water or the city water. From the results described above, it has been confirmed that the old rice cooked with the acid water or alkaline water is superior in sensual property than the rice cooked with the city water. [Texture of cooked rice] The texture or property of each rice cooked with the electrolyzed water and city water was measured by a three-grains method, and the starchiness degree of each rice was measured by a BAP method. A result of the measurement is shown in the following table 4. [Property of cooked rice] Texture Acid water (comparative) (3.75) Alkaline water (9.25) City water (6.96) Hardness (kg) 3.24 2.30 2.47 Stickiness (kg) 0.31 0.34 0.28 Stickiness/Hardness 0.14 0.14 0.12 Starchiness degree (%) 95.3 96.5 92.2 As is shown in the table 4, the hardness of the rice cooked with the acid water or alkaline water was decreased and the stickiness of the rice was increased. In addition, the starchiness and swelling of starch was promoted. From these facts, it has been found that the texture or property of the rice cooked with the acid water or the alkaline water is improved in comparison with the rice cooked with the city water. To further compare with the texture of the rice cooked with the city water, the rice cooked with the acid water or alkaline water was frozen and dried immediately after cooking, and the cross-section of the dried rice was observed by SEM. In this observation, a number of large holes dispersed entirely in the rice cooked with the city water were found. These holes are assumed to be traces caused by starch dehydrated at the freezing and drying processes. In contrast with the rice cooked with the city water, these holes formed in the rice cooked with the alkaline water were rather small than those in the rice cooked with the city water, and these holes formed in the rice cooked with the acid water were rather small than those in the rice cooked with the alkaline water. From the foregoing facts, it is presumed that a hydrated condition of starch in the rice cooked with the acid water or alkaline water is enhanced in contrast with the rice cooked with the city water. It is also presumed that the hydrated condition of starch in the rice cooked with the acid water is noticeably enhanced in contrast with the rice cooked with the city water. Example 3 (not in the scope of the present invention) In this example, an appropriate amount of wheat flour (produced by Nissin Seifun K.K. and named "Super Cameria" was used as a food material containing an amount of starch for an experimental water treatment. In the water treatment, city water of 6.95 pH and acidic water of 3.5 pH were used. The city water was service water of Matsue-shi, and the acid water was produced by the electrolyzed water production apparatus of HOX-40A type (made by Hoshizaki Denki K.K) using the service water of Matsue-shi. In the experimental water treatment 0.2 g wheat flour to was added to 20 ml water (100 times the wheat flour) and shaken for ninety minutes at a water temperature of 30 °C. The treated water was filtered by a filter of 0.45 µm, and the top clear part of the filtered water was obtained for the following measurement. Thus, the pH of the treated water before and after the water treatment was measured. Additionally, the entire amount of sugar components contained in the top clear part of the filtered water was measured by a phenol-sulfate method, and an amount of reducing sugar was measured by the Somogyi-Nelson method. A result of the measurement of pH is listed in the following table 5, and a result of the measurement of sugar components is listed in the following table 6. [pH of treated water] Treated water Acid water City water Before treatment 3.5 6.9 After treatment 5.6 6.1 [Sugar components extracted from wheat flour] Extracted components Acid water City water Entire sugar 60.6 57.0 Reducing sugar 10.5 4.9 From the results of the measurement described above, it has been found that the amount of entire sugar and reducing sugar extracted from the acid water becomes more than that extracted from the city water. This means that the activity of α - amylase is enhanced in the acid water. In preparation of wheat flour products, city water or natural water is used in general to prepare batter or dough, and the sweetness of the wheat flour products is given not only by sugar added in preparation of the batter or dough but also by the decomposition of starch contained in wheat flour. The starch is decomposed by molecularity thereof and α -amylase contained therein. Since more than seventy percent of flour components are decomposed into sugar components, the decomposition of starch is very important for the preparation of the wheat flour products. For this reason, if the electrolyzed acid water was used for preparation of wheat flour products, α -amylase would be effectively activated to promote decomposition of starch contained in wheat flour and to enhance sweetness of the wheat flour products. Example 4 (not in the scope of the present invention) In this example, an amount of powder (of 100 µm in particle diameter) of old rice (stored for one year) was subjected to an experimental water treatment using electrolyzed acid water of 3.65 pH and city water of 6.95 pH. The water treatment of the rice powder was conducted at a water temperature of 10 °C - 70 °C, and the same acid water as in the example 3 was used for the water treatment. In the water treatment, 0.2 g rice powder was added to 20 ml water (100 times the rice powder) and shaken for thirty minutes at a predetermined temperature. Subsequently, the water was filtered by a filter of 0.45 µ m, and the top clear part of the filtered water was obtained for the following measurement. Thus, an amount of entire sugar components contained in the top clear part of the filtered water was measured by a phenol-sulfate method, and an amount of reducing sugar was measured by the Somogyi-Nelson method. Based on the result of the measurement, the activity of α -amylase was calculated, and the result of the calculation is shown in the following table 7 and shown by the graph in Fig. 4. The activity of α -amylase was calculated by the formula "Reducing sugar/Entire sugar". In the graph of Fig. 4, a solid line indicates the acid water used in the water treatment, and a dot-and-dash line indicates the city water used in the water treatment. [Activity of α -amylase] Temperature (°C) Acid water (3.65) City water (6.95) 10 0.18 0.06 30 0.23 0.12 40 0.49 0.28 50 0.27 0.10 70 0.18 0.07 From the table 7 and the graph of Fig. 4, it has been found that the activity of α-amylase in the treatment with the acid water becomes higher than that in the treatment with the city water at all the temperatures. Particularly, the activity of α -amylase becomes higher at water temperatures of 30 °C and 50 °C.

Claims: A method of promoting the activity of the starch decomposition enzymes in a food material containing starch, consisting of the steps: preparing an amount of electrolyzed alkaline water of pH 8.0 to pH 10.0, such that the concentration of metal ions in the alkaline water increases during the production process of the electrolyzed alkaline water in an extent of 20% to 30% compared to the concentration of metal ions in the raw water for the preparation of the electrolyzed alkaline water without adding any metal compound for adjustment of the concentration of the metal ions; and retaining the food material in the electrolyzed alkaline water at a temperature range of 20°C to 70°C for a predetermined time. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the food material is a vegetable food material.

Inventors: ARAI EIKO, HARA YASUO, KATOU AKEMI, ONISHI RIEKO, ARAI, EIKO, HARA, YASUO, KATOU, AKEMI, ONISHI, RIEKO
Applicants: HOSHIZAKI ELECTRIC CO LTD, HOSHIZAKI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A23L1
IPC codes: A23L1