PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a quality improving agent for cooked rice, which effectively imparts improving effects on loosening properties, decay preventing property and/or water retentivity to the cooked rice with as little influence as possible on the original texture and taste of the cooked rice, a method for producing the cooked rice using the quality improving agent and the cooked rice improved in loosening properties, decay preventing property and/or water retentivity using the method for producing the cooked rice.SOLUTION: In the process of rice cooking for preparing the cooked rice, substituted modified starch whose viscosity is adjusted to a viscosity range involving a viscosity of &ge15 mPa s in 30 mass% aqueous solution and a viscosity of &le3,000 mPa s in 10 mass% aqueous solution by the hydrolysis or molecular weight reduction of the substituted modified starch is added as the quality improving agent for the cooked rice. As a result, improving effect on loosening properties, decay preventing property and/or water retentivity is imparted to the cooked rice, while the cooked rice having the original texture and taste of the cooked rice is produced. Examples of the degradation product of the substituted modified starch include degradation products obtained using, as a base material, substituted modified starch of hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate-crosslinked starch and starch sodium octenylsuccinate Na.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】米飯の本来の食感や、風味に極力影響を与えることなく、米飯に効果的にほぐれ性、老化防止、及び/又は保水性改善効果を付与する米飯の品質改良剤、該品質改良剤を用いた米飯類の製造方法、及び該米飯類の製造方法を用いたほぐれ性、老化防止、及び/又は保水性を向上させた米飯類を提供すること。【解決手段】米飯の炊飯製造に際して、米飯の品質改良剤として、置換型加工澱粉を加水分解或いは低分子化により、30質量%水溶液における粘度が15mPa・s以上、10質量%水溶液における粘度が3000mPa・s以下の粘度範囲に調整した置換型加工澱粉を加えることにより、米飯に、ほぐれ性、老化防止、及び/又は保水性改善効果を付与するとともに、米飯の本来の食感、風味の米飯を製造する。置換型加工澱粉分解物としては、ヒドロキシプロピル澱粉、ヒドロキシプロピル化リン酸架橋澱粉、及びオクテニルコハク酸澱粉Naの置換型加工澱粉を基材とした分解物を挙げることができる。【選択図】なし
