Oil-coated powdered sugar and food using it

Abstract

To provide a fat coated powder sugar having less hygroscopicity, excellent temperature tolerance in a distribution process and adhesiveness onto a food product.SOLUTION: Fat coated powder sugar of the present invention has powder sugar and fat attached to a surface of the powder sugar, and the powder sugar is characterized in that a circularity average value in the grain size 0.2 mm or more is 0.7 to 1, a circularity average value in the volume-based accumulation 50% grain size is 0.75 or more, and a circularity average value in the volume-based accumulation 90% grain size is 0.85 or more. It is preferable that the volume-based accumulation 50% grain size of the powder sugar by a laser diffraction / scattering method is 170 to 320 μm. It is preferable that the fat contain fat having the melting point 40 to 70°C. The powder sugar is preferably glucose.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil-coated powdered sugar in which the particle surfaces of powdered sugar are coated with oil. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to improve the appearance and texture of foods such as bread and confectionery, powdered sugar such as glucose is applied to the surface of the food, a process known as sugaring. However, this type of powdered sugar is highly hygroscopic, and after sugaring, it adsorbs moisture from the food and air, deliquescing and becoming a transparent starch syrup-like substance, a phenomenon known as "weeping." Since the occurrence of weeping has a negative impact on not only the appearance but also the texture of the food, a solution to this problem is desired.

[0003] A method for improving tear resistance has been known in the past to coat the surface of powdered sugar particles with fats and oils. Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a two-layer structure of an outer layer and an inner layer made of fats and oils that coat the surface of powdered sugar particles. Patent Document 1 describes that, from the viewpoint of improving the fluidity of the oil-coated powdered sugar and making it easier to handle, it is preferable for the powdered sugar particles to have a median diameter of 120 μm or more and a cumulative 10% diameter of 55 μm or more. Patent Document 3 describes that, in order to solve the problem of poor melt-in-the-mouth texture caused by coating the surface of powdered sugar particles with fats and oils, the moisture content of the powdered sugar (crystalline glucose) coated with fats and oils is set within a specific range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-110852 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-39506 [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-18040 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have room for improvement in terms of tear resistance (temperature resistance during distribution) and adhesion to food. An oil-coated powdered sugar that is useful as a coating sugar, has low moisture absorption, excellent tear resistance, and also has excellent adhesion to food, has not yet been provided.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an oil-coated powdered sugar that has low hygroscopicity, excellent temperature resistance during distribution, and excellent adhesion to food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted various studies on oil-coated powdered sugar, in which the particle surfaces of powdered sugar are coated with oil and fat, and have found that the circularity of the powdered sugar particles has a significant effect on the properties of the oil-coated powdered sugar, particularly its resistance to weeping and its adhesiveness to food.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and the powdered sugar is an oil-coated powdered sugar comprising powdered sugar and oil or fat adhered to the surface of the powdered sugar, wherein the powdered sugar has an average circularity of 0.7 to 1 for particle diameters of 0.2 mm or more, an average circularity of 0.75 or more at a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter, and an average circularity of 0.85 or more at a volume-based cumulative 90% particle diameter. The present invention also relates to a food having the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention attached to its surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided an oil-coated powdered sugar which has low moisture absorption, excellent temperature resistance (crying resistance) during distribution, and excellent adhesion to food, and is suitable as a powdered sugar to be sprinkled on the surface of foods such as bread, Western confectionery, and donuts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention comprises powdered sugar and oils and fats attached to the surface of the powdered sugar. That is, the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention is an aggregate of powdered sugar particles, and oils and fats are attached to the surface of each powdered sugar particle, and the oils and fats typically form a layer-like oil-coating layer. Below, the powdered sugar and the oil-coating layer will be described in order.

[0011] In the present invention, the powdered sugar may be any sugar that is particulate at room temperature and normal pressure and that has been conventionally used as a sweetener, without any particular limitation. In the present invention, one type of sugar or two or more types of sugars may be used as the powdered sugar. Examples of powdered sugar include monosaccharides such as glucose (grape sugar), mannose, galactose, fructose, sorbose, tagarose, arabinose, xylose, ribose, ribulose, erythrose, and threose; oligosaccharides such as trehalose, sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, gentiobiose, lactose, raffinose, gentianose, maltotriose, and manninotriose; dextrins and powdered sugar obtained by decomposing polysaccharides; and polysaccharides such as glycogen, inulin, lichenin, cellulose, chitin, hemicellulose, pectin, and plant gum. In the present invention, the powdered sugar may be any of the above-mentioned sugars that have been subjected to one or more of the following treatments: oxidation, reduction, decomposition, gelatinization, esterification, etherification, crosslinking, and the like.

[0012] In the present invention, an example of a preferred powdered sugar is glucose. Glucose is characterized by relatively high sweetness and low hygroscopicity, and can further improve the weeping resistance of the oil-coated powdered sugar. As glucose, any of hydrous crystalline glucose, whole sugar glucose, and anhydrous crystalline glucose may be used, and a mixture of two or more of these can also be used as the powdered sugar. Among glucoses, hydrous crystalline glucose and anhydrous crystalline glucose are particularly preferred due to their low hygroscopicity.

[0013] The oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention is characterized in that the powdered sugar (particles of powdered sugar with no oil or fat attached to the surface) that constitutes it has 1) an average circularity of 0.7 to 1 for particle diameters of 0.2 mm or more, 2) an average circularity of 0.75 or more for the volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter (D50), and 3) an average circularity of 0.85 or more for the volume-based cumulative 90% particle diameter (D90). By using powdered sugar particles that satisfy all of the above 1) to 3) as a core material and attaching oil or fat to the surface of the core material, an oil-coated powdered sugar with excellent cry resistance and adhesion to foods can be obtained.

[0014] In this specification, "average circularity" refers to the arithmetic mean value of the circularity of 30,000 or more powdered sugar particles. "Circularity" is calculated using the following formula, where S is the area of ​​the object (powdered sugar) in an observation image (two-dimensional projection image) and L is the perimeter: Circularity = 4πS / L 2 The "D50" refers to the particle diameter at which the cumulative amount of the particle, from the smallest particle, reaches 50% of the total in the cumulative particle size distribution curve of powdered sugar based on volume, and the "D90" refers to the particle diameter at which the cumulative amount of the particle, from the smallest particle, reaches 90% of the total in the cumulative particle size distribution curve. The average circularity values ​​of 1) to 3) can be measured using an image-based particle size distribution measurement method. The image-based particle size distribution measurement method is a well-known measurement method in which a projected image of particles is captured and then digitized through a binarization process or the like. An example of a measurement device that uses this measurement method is the "Morphologi" manufactured by Malvern Panalytical.

[0015] The circularity of a perfect circle is 1, and the closer the circularity is to 1, the closer the outer shape of the object to be measured is to a perfect sphere. Powdered sugar having an average circularity of each of 1) to 3) within the specific ranges has particles that are nearly spherical, and therefore, when attached to the surface of a food, the contact area with the food is relatively small, and it is presumed that the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention exhibits high resistance to crying due to the interaction between the powdered sugar having a particle shape that is not easily affected by the moisture of the food to which it is attached and the oil-coated powdered sugar attached to the surface of the powdered sugar.

[0016] With regard to 1) above, the average circularity for particles having a particle diameter of 0.2 mm or more is preferably 0.75 or more, more preferably 0.80 or more. With regard to the above 2), the average circularity in D50 is preferably 0.78 or more, more preferably 0.80 or more. Regarding the above 3), the average circularity in D90 is preferably 0.88 or more, more preferably 0.90 or more. The average circularity values ​​of 1) to 3) above can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the production conditions of the powdered sugar.

[0017] In the present invention, the volume-based cumulative 50% particle size (hereinafter also referred to as "LD-D50") of the powdered sugar constituting the oil-coated powdered sugar, as determined by a laser diffraction / scattering method, is preferably 170 to 320 μm, more preferably 190 to 220 μm, from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the desired effects of the present invention. If the LD-D50 of the powdered sugar is too small, the oil-coated powdered sugar may have insufficient weeping resistance, whereas if the LD-D50 of the powdered sugar is too large, the oil-coated powdered sugar may have insufficient adhesion to foods. Since the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention has the average circularity values ​​1) to 3) within the specified ranges, it has excellent weeping resistance and adhesion to foods. Furthermore, if the LD-D50 is within the preferred ranges, it can have even better food coating performance. LD-D50 refers to the volume cumulative particle size (D50) at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer (for example, the Microtrac Particle Size Distribution Analyzer 9200FRA manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0018] In the present invention, the oil or fat adhered to the surface of the powdered sugar can be any oil or fat that can be used in foods, without any particular limitation, and may be vegetable oil or animal oil. Specific examples include vegetable oils such as salad oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, and olive oil; animal oils such as beef tallow, lard, and fish oil; hydrogenated oils and fats thereof; and mixed oils containing two or more of these, and these can be used alone or in combination.

[0019] In the present invention, the fat or oil adhered to the surface of the powdered sugar preferably contains fat or oil having a melting point of 40 to 70°C, preferably 42 to 70°C. This more reliably achieves the desired effects of the present invention. When the fat or oil coating layer containing fat or oil adhered to the surface of the powdered sugar has a laminated structure of two or more layers, it is preferable that the melting points of the fats or oils in each layer constituting the laminated structure are within the above-mentioned range. In this specification, the "melting point of fats and oils" means the melting point (slip melting point) measured in accordance with Standard Method for the Analysis of Fats and Oils 2.2.4.2-1996.

[0020] In the present invention, the fat-and-oil coating layer containing fats and oils attached to the surface of the powdered sugar is typically composed mainly of fats and oils, and the fat content in the fat-and-oil coating layer is 100% by mass or nearly so, based on the total mass of the fat-and-oil coating layer. The fat-and-oil coating layer may contain other components in addition to fats and oils, as long as the desired effects of the present invention are achieved. Examples of such other components include emulsifiers such as shellac, wax, monoglycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin fatty acid esters; metal salts of fatty acids such as calcium stearate and magnesium stearate; sweeteners such as sucralose and thaumatin; and flavors, which may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] In the present invention, the oil / fat coating layer that coats the surface of the powdered sugar may have a single layer structure, or may have a layered structure in which multiple layers are stacked in the radial direction of the powdered sugar. Specific examples of the single-layer oil-and-fat coating layer (the oil-and-fat coating layer that directly coats the surface of the powdered sugar) include those containing oils and fats having a melting point within the above-mentioned preferred range (40 to 70°C). A specific example of a fat / oil coating layer having a laminated structure is a two-layered fat / oil coating layer having, in order from the powdered sugar side, an inner coating layer and an outer coating layer. In the oil-and-fat coating layer of the two-layer structure, it is preferable that the melting point of the oil in the inner coating layer is higher than that in the outer coating layer. In the two-layer oil-and-fat coating layer, the melting point of the oil in the inner coating layer is higher than that of the outer coating layer, and is therefore preferably 50 to 70° C., more preferably 53 to 70° C., and even more preferably 55 to 70° C. The melting point of the oil in the outer coating layer is lower than that of the inner coating layer, and is therefore preferably 40 to 50° C., more preferably 40 to 48° C., and even more preferably 42 to 48° C. As the fat-and-oil coating layer of the two-layer structure, the fat-and-oil coating layer in the fat-and-oil coated powdered sugar described in Patent Document 1 can be appropriately used.

[0022] The content of fats and oils in the fat-coated powdered sugar of the present invention can be adjusted as appropriate within a range in which the desired effects of the present invention are achieved, but from the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the desired effects of the present invention, it is preferably 5 to 15 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the powdered sugar constituting the fat-coated powdered sugar. When the fat-coating layer constituting the fat-coated powdered sugar has a single-layer structure, the fat and oil content in the fat-coating layer of the single-layer structure may be within the above-mentioned range. When the fat-coating layer constituting the fat-coated powdered sugar has a two-layer structure, the total fat and oil content in each of the two layers (inner coating layer, outer coating layer) constituting the two layers may be within the above-mentioned range, and the distribution of the fat and oil content in each layer can be set as desired.

[0023] In the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention, powdered starch may be attached to the surface of the oil (oil-coating layer) adhering to the surface of the powdered sugar. This can further improve the fluidity and handling properties of the oil-coated powdered sugar. As such starch, any starch commonly used in foods can be used without any particular limitation, and corn starch is particularly preferred.

[0024] The oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention can be produced by the same method as conventional oil-coated powdered sugar (coated sugar) of this type, typically by adding powdered sugar, oil and fat, and optionally other ingredients to a known mixer such as a kneader mixer, flash mixer, or pressure mixer, and stirring while heating as necessary. Specifically, for example, the powdered sugar is added to the mixer and heated while stirring. When the temperature of the powdered sugar reaches or exceeds the melting point of the oil or fat to be used, pre-heated and melted oil or fat is added to the mixer, stirring is continued for a predetermined period of time, and then heating is stopped and the mixture is allowed to cool. When producing the oil-coated powdered sugar having the two-layer structure, the method for producing oil-coated powdered sugar described in Patent Document 1 can be used as appropriate.

[0025] The oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention has low moisture absorption, excellent temperature resistance (crying resistance) during distribution, and excellent adhesion to foods, and can be sprinkled on various foods. The present invention includes foods having the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention attached to their surfaces. Below, the food of the present invention will be described, focusing mainly on the differences between the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention and the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention. For points not specifically described in the food of the present invention, the above-mentioned explanation of the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention applies as appropriate.

[0026] The food of the present invention comprises a food body and an oil-coated powdered sugar attached to the surface of the food body, the oil-coated powdered sugar being the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention. The food body is not particularly limited as long as the oil-coated powdered sugar of the present invention can be attached to its surface. Specific examples of the food body include bakery foods such as bread, Western-style confectionery, and donuts.

[0027] The food of the present invention can be produced by a conventional method. The production method of the food of the present invention typically includes a step of adhering the oil-coated powdered sugar to the surface of the food body. The method of adhering the oil-coated powdered sugar is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include 1) sprinkling the oil-coated powdered sugar from above the food body, 2) placing the oil-coated powdered sugar and the food body in a bag and shaking the bag with the opening closed, and 3) sprinkling the oil-coated powdered sugar over a relatively wide area on a plate or the like and rolling the food body on the sprinkled oil-coated powdered sugar. [Example]

[0028] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0029] [Examples 1 to 7, Comparative Examples 1 to 4] Oil-coated powdered sugar was produced in which the surface of the powdered sugar was coated with the oil-coating layer having the two-layer structure (inner coating layer, outer coating layer). Specifically, 100 parts by mass of powdered sugar (anhydrous crystalline glucose) serving as a core material was placed in a mixer equipped with a heating jacket and stirred and heated. When the temperature of the core material exceeded 80°C, pre-melted oil for the inner coating layer was added, and the mixture was stirred at 63 rpm for 10 minutes while maintaining the product temperature of the contents of the mixer (the product temperature of the core material) at 80°C or higher. After that, heating was stopped and the mixture was allowed to cool (first coating step). Next, when the product temperature of the contents of the mixer (the powdered sugar with the inner coating layer formed) reached 47°C, pre-melted oil for the outer coating layer was added, and the mixture was stirred at 63 rpm for 10 minutes while maintaining the product temperature of the contents at 44 to 49°C. After that, heating was stopped and the mixture was allowed to cool (second coating step). Then, when the temperature of the contents of the mixer (powdered sugar with inner and outer coating layers formed) reached 30°C or below, 10 parts by weight of cornstarch was added and the mixture was stirred at 63 rpm for 5 minutes. The mixture was then passed through a 16-mesh sieve to obtain the desired oil-coated powdered sugar with cornstarch attached to the surface. The physical properties of the obtained oil-coated powdered sugar are shown in Table 1 below.

[0030] [Examples 8 to 11, Comparative Examples 5 to 8] Oil-coated powdered sugar was produced in which the surface of the powdered sugar was coated with a single-layer oil-coating layer. Specifically, 100 parts by mass of powdered sugar (anhydrous crystalline glucose) serving as the core material was placed in a mixer with a heating jacket and stirred and heated. When the temperature of the core material exceeded 80°C, pre-melted oil for the coating layer was added. While maintaining the product temperature of the contents of the mixer (product temperature of the core material) at 80°C or higher, the mixture was stirred at 63 rpm for 10 minutes, after which heating was stopped and the mixture was allowed to cool. When the product temperature of the contents of the mixer dropped below 30°C, 10 parts by weight of cornstarch was added and stirred at 63 rpm for 5 minutes. The mixture was then passed through a 16-mesh sieve to obtain the desired oil-coated powdered sugar with cornstarch attached to the surface. The physical properties of the obtained oil-coated powdered sugar are shown in Table 2 below.

[0031] [Evaluation test] The oil-coated powdered sugars of each Example and Comparative Example were evaluated for adhesion to food (donuts) and remaining property (cry resistance) by the following methods. The evaluation was carried out by 10 expert panelists. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below as the average scores of the 10 expert panelists.

[0032] (Method for evaluating the adhesion and persistence of oil-coated powdered sugar) Yeast donuts produced by frying in a conventional manner were allowed to cool until the surface temperature reached 35°C, after which the yeast donuts were placed in a container containing 100 parts by mass of oil-coated powdered sugar, and the container was shaken five times in one direction and then in the opposite direction to the one direction to sugar the yeast donuts, thereby adhering the oil-coated powdered sugar to the surface of the yeast donuts. The surface of the donut immediately after sugaring was visually observed, and the adhesion of the oil-coated powdered sugar was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. In addition, the sugared donuts were placed in a polyethylene bag, sealed, and stored in an environment of 30°C for 48 hours.The donuts were then removed from the bag and their surfaces were visually inspected to evaluate the remaining oil-coated powdered sugar according to the following evaluation criteria.

[0033] <Adhesion evaluation criteria> 5 points: A very large amount of oil-coated powdered sugar adheres, and the result is very good. 4 points: A lot of oil-coated powdered sugar adheres, good. 3 points: The oil-coated powdered sugar adheres well, which is fairly good. 2 points: A small amount of oil-coated powdered sugar is attached, and the product is slightly defective. 1 point: Almost no oil-coated powdered sugar adhered, poor quality. <Survival evaluation criteria> 5 points: There is no deliquescence of the oil-coated powdered sugar, and the whiteness remains, which is extremely good. 4 points: The oil-coated powdered sugar is slightly deliquescent, but the whiteness remains, which is good. 3 points: The oil-coated powdered sugar has deliquesced, but the whiteness remains, and the condition is fairly good. 2 points: Most of the oil-coated powdered sugar has deliquesced, and no white remains, so it is slightly unsatisfactory. 1 point: The oil-coated powdered sugar has completely deliquesced and no white residue remains, poor quality.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the oil-coated powdered sugar of each Example satisfied all of the above 1) to 3), and therefore was superior in both adhesion to food and persistence (temperature resistance and tear resistance during distribution) compared to each Comparative Example which did not satisfy these requirements.

Claims

1. The oil-coated powdered sugar has a powdered sugar and an oil-coating layer attached to the surface of the powdered sugar, and the oil-coating layer has an oil content of 100% by mass, and satisfies all of the following (1) to (4): (1) The powdered sugar has an average circularity of 0.7 to 1 for particles with a particle diameter of 0.2 mm or more. (2) The powdered sugar has an average circularity of 0.75 or more at a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter. (3) The powdered sugar has an average circularity of 0.85 or more at a volume-based cumulative 90% particle diameter. (4) The powdered sugar has a volume-based cumulative 50% particle size of 170 to 320 μm as measured by a laser diffraction / scattering method.

2. The oil-coated powdered sugar according to claim 1, wherein the oil-and-fat contains an oil-and-fat having a melting point of 40 to 70°C.

3. The oil-coated powdered sugar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powdered sugar is glucose.

4. A food having the oil-coated powdered sugar according to any one of claims 1 to 3 attached to its surface.

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