Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.

Yoshiyuki Kumazawa

Shoji Sakaguchi

Noriko Miwa

Hisashi Yasueda

Noriki Nio

Katsuya Seguro

Masao Motoki

Hiroyuki Nakagoshi

Chiya Kuraishi

Jiro Sakamoto

Rikiya Ishida

Mika Uda

Kohichiro Sano

Tomoko Ootsuka

Tomoko Kaneko

The present invention provides an enzyme preparation containing, as the active ingredient, an acidic or alkaline substance capable of shifting the pH value of the preparation toward a pH range wherein the expression of activity of a transglutaminase is inhibited when the transglutaminase is dissolved in the presence of collagen in a solution. The present invention also provides a process for producing a food by using the aforementioned enzyme preparation.

Enzyme preparation and process for producing food using the same

In this application is disclosed a process for producing cheese curd characterized in that (a1) a milk-clotting enzyme is added to a raw material milk being kept at a low temperature where the milk protein is not coagulated by the milk-clotting enzyme, whereby the milk-clotting enzyme is allowed to react or work, a transglutaminase is then added, and the resulting mixture is raised in temperature and kept at the raised temperature, whereby the transglutaminase is allowed to react, or (a2) a milk-clotting enzyme and a transglutaminase are simultaneously added to a raw material milk being kept at a low temperature, and the resulting mixture is kept at the same low temperature for a period of time, during which the milk-clotting enzyme is mainly allowed to react, and the resulting mixture is raised in temperature and kept at the raised temperature, during which the transglutaminase is mainly allowed to react, (b) whereby raw material milk curdles, and the resulting coagulated milk is subjected to cutting, followed by separating the whey, whereby cheese curd is obtained, which process is a process according to which inhibition of the reaction of a milk-clotting enzyme by the reaction of a transglutaminase to the milk protein can be avoided, and cheese curd can be obtained in improved yields.

Process for producing cheese curd

Herein is disclosed a cheese yield enhancing method in a cheese manufacturing method including a process of separating a cheese curd from a whey after a milk coagulating treatment of a material milk by a milk coagulating enzyme, said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a protein decomposing enzyme treated material of a milk whey protein (a partial hydrolysate of the milk whey protein) to the material milk; and subjecting a resulting mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, or said cheese yield enhancing method comprising steps of: adding/mixing a partial hydrolysate of a milk whey protein to the material milk; allowing transglutaminase to act on a resulting mixture; and subjecting the mixture to the milk coagulating treatment by the milk coagulating enzyme, whereby a yield of a cheese curd from a material milk, and therefore a yield of cheese may be enhanced and a cheese superior in quality may be manufactured.

Cheese yield enhancing method

Herein is disclosed a method for modifying raw material milk, wherein a reducing agent such as a thiol compound is added when transglutaminase is caused to act upon raw material milk for a dairy product, whereby the reactivity of the transglutaminase to the raw material milk such as raw cow milk, can be improved and the milk protein can, in turn, be modified effectively. From the thus-modified raw material milk can be produced dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and powdered milk improved in physical properties, mouthfeel or texture.

Method for modifying raw material milk and dairy product prepared by using the modified raw material milk

Transglutaminase originating from Crassostrea gigas

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yoshiyuki Kumazawa