A reduced water confectionery, its preparation and use

Abstract

This invention discloses a reduced syrup, its preparation method, and its applications, belonging to the field of food preparation technology. The reduced syrup provided by this invention comprises sugar alcohol components and water. The sugar alcohol components include the following components by mass percentage: 1-10% sorbitol, 6-21% maltodextrin, 11-16% maltotriose, 4-8% maltotetraose, and 51-73% oligosaccharides, wherein the degree of polymerization of the oligosaccharides is greater than or equal to five. This invention provides a reduced syrup with a high content of sugar alcohol components such as maltotriose, maltotetraose, and oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of three or higher. Its sweetness is only 30% that of white sugar, with a milder sweetness; it has high water activity and good moisturizing properties; it has high viscosity and good color stability, and is beneficial for food fermentation. It has wide applications as a sweetener, preservative, humectant, or fermentation agent in food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food preparation technology, and particularly relates to a reduced water syrup, its preparation method and application. Background Technology

[0002] Reduced syrup is a mixture of monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, polysaccharides, and sugar alcohols made from starch raw materials through enzymatic liquefaction, saccharification, fine concentration, and hydrogenation. Reduced syrup has the following characteristics: 1) Good taste: Compared to sugar or other sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol and maltitol), its sweetness is refreshing and not cloying; 2) Low water activity: Effectively inhibits spoilage and extends the shelf life of food; 3) High permeability: Sugar has strong permeability, which can shorten pickling and cooking time; High moisture retention: Does not easily absorb moisture; 4) Non-coloring: High thermal stability; Almost no Maillard reaction occurs, and it does not color the food; 5) Not easily utilized by microorganisms (such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria): It inhibits microbial growth; 6) Preservative effect: Can be used as a substitute for sugar, syrup (syrup), glucose, etc.; 7) Slower water evaporation and absorption compared to commonly used humectants (such as sorbitol syrup and glycerin). Therefore, reconstituted syrup is suitable for the preparation of dried fruit, candied fruit, jam, lotus seed paste, mooncake filling, dehydrated vegetables, ham sausage, convenience food, soy sauce and juice canned food, and cream-based foods. It is also used in the baking industry because it is beneficial for food fermentation.

[0003] However, there is currently very little research on the preparation and application of reduced syrup, and a complete production process for reduced syrup is lacking. To fill this technological gap, it is necessary to develop a method for preparing reduced syrup. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a reduced syrup that meets market demand and has a large added value.

[0005] The second objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing the above-mentioned reduced syrup.

[0006] A third objective of this invention is to provide an application of the aforementioned reduced syrup in the food industry.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a reduced syrup comprising a sugar alcohol component and water, wherein the sugar alcohol component comprises the following components in mass percentage: 1-10% sorbitol, 6-21% maltodextrin, 11-16% maltotrititol, 4-8% maltotetratitol, and 51-73% oligosaccharide alcohol, wherein the degree of polymerization of the oligosaccharide alcohol is greater than or equal to five.

[0009] Preferably, the sugar alcohol component comprises the following components in weight percentage: 4-10% sorbitol, 6-21% maltodextrin, 11-16% maltotrititol, 5-8% maltotetratitol, and 51-68% oligosaccharide alcohol.

[0010] Preferably, the sugar alcohol component in the reduced syrup has a mass concentration of 65-75%; more preferably 69-73%; and even more preferably 71-73%.

[0011] Preferably, the viscosity of the reduced maltose at 25°C is 1000–1500 mPa·s; more preferably 1100–1400 mPa·s; and even more preferably 1200–1300 mPa·s.

[0012] Preferably, the pH of the reduced syrup is 3 to 6.5; more preferably 3 to 5; and even more preferably 3.1 to 4.

[0013] Preferably, the mass concentration of reducing sugar in the reduced syrup is ≤0.5%; more preferably ≤0.4%; and even more preferably ≤0.2%.

[0014] The second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the reduced syrup described in the first aspect of the present invention, comprising the following steps: adding a heat-resistant liquefying enzyme to a starch liquefaction liquid to carry out a saccharification reaction to obtain a saccharified liquid; then performing decolorization filtration and ion exchange to obtain a purified liquid; next, carrying out a hydrogenation reaction under the catalysis of nickel powder and magnesium powder to obtain a hydrogenated liquid; and finally refining to obtain the reduced syrup described above.

[0015] In the preparation method of the present invention, nickel powder is used as the main catalyst and magnesium powder as the catalytic aid. Nickel powder serves to shorten the reaction time and improve the conversion rate. After adding magnesium powder as the catalytic aid, the conversion rate and selectivity of the hydrogenation reaction are improved to varying degrees. Furthermore, magnesium powder is beneficial to the dispersion of Ni, reducing the particle size of Ni and increasing the specific surface area, thereby improving the catalytic activity of the catalyst.

[0016] Preferably, in the preparation method, the pH of the starch liquefaction liquid is 5-6; more preferably 5.5-5.9.

[0017] Preferably, in the preparation method, the DE value of the starch liquefaction liquid is 16 to 17.5.

[0018] Preferably, in the preparation method, the starch liquefaction liquid is obtained by a method including the following steps: preparing starch raw materials into a slurry and liquefying them.

[0019] Preferably, the slurry preparation involves adding an alkaline solution to the starch raw material to obtain a starch milk with a pH of 5 to 6.

[0020] Preferably, the liquefaction is performed by adding a heat-resistant liquefying enzyme to the starch milk obtained by slurry preparation, and then carrying out a liquefaction reaction to obtain the starch liquefaction liquid; more preferably, in the liquefaction process, heating is performed before the liquefaction reaction, and the liquefaction reaction is carried out after cooling to 95-100°C.

[0021] Preferably, in the liquefaction process, the thermoresistant liquefying enzyme is selected from thermoresistant α-amylase.

[0022] The liquefaction mechanism is as follows: liquefaction uses α-amylase, which can hydrolyze the α-1,4 glycosidic bonds in starch and other product molecules, causing the molecules to break and arbitrarily cut into short-chain dextrins of varying lengths and a small amount of oligosaccharides, thus rapidly reducing the starch concentration.

[0023] Preferably, the starch raw material is selected from corn.

[0024] Preferably, the method for preparing the starch liquefaction liquid further includes a step of pulverizing the starch raw material before slurry preparation.

[0025] Preferably, in the preparation method, the temperature of the saccharification reaction is 60–100°C; more preferably, it is 85–95°C.

[0026] Preferably, in the preparation method, the saccharification reaction time is 15-36 h; more preferably 17-24 h; and even more preferably 18-22 h.

[0027] Preferably, in the saccharification reaction, the ratio of the amount of the heat-resistant liquefying enzyme to the dry matter of the liquefaction liquid is 0.4-1.0 mL: 1 kg; more preferably, it is 0.4-0.6 mL: 1 kg.

[0028] Preferably, in the saccharification reaction, the thermostable liquefying enzyme is selected from thermostable α-amylase.

[0029] Preferably, in the preparation method, the pH of the purified solution is 6-7; more preferably 6.5-6.9.

[0030] Preferably, in the preparation method, the conductivity of the purified solution is ≤15 μS / cm; more preferably, it is 14-15 μS / cm.

[0031] Preferably, in the preparation method, the dry matter concentration of the purified solution is 30-40%.

[0032] Preferably, in the preparation method, the temperature of the hydrogenation reaction is 120–150°C; more preferably 130–145°C; and even more preferably 130–140°C.

[0033] Preferably, in the preparation method, the hydrogenation reaction time is 3-8 hours; more preferably 4-6 hours.

[0034] Preferably, in the preparation method, the pressure of the hydrogenation reaction is 5-8 MPa; more preferably 6-7 MPa.

[0035] Preferably, in the preparation method, the nickel powder is selected from Raney nickel powder.

[0036] Preferably, in the preparation method, the mass ratio of nickel powder to magnesium powder is 1:(0.01-0.02); more preferably, it is 1:(0.012-0.015).

[0037] Preferably, in the preparation method, the mass ratio of nickel powder to purification solution is 1:(10-20); more preferably, it is 1:(12-15).

[0038] Preferably, in the preparation method, the purification includes steps of filtration, decolorization, ion exchange, and concentration.

[0039] Preferably, the decolorizing agent is selected from activated carbon.

[0040] Preferably, the ion-exchange resin is selected from anion exchange resins.

[0041] Preferably, the concentration method is selected from evaporation concentration.

[0042] A third aspect of the present invention provides an application of the reduced syrup described in the first aspect of the present invention in the food industry.

[0043] Preferably, the food includes at least one of the following: dried fruit, candied fruit, jam, lotus seed paste, mooncake filling, dehydrated vegetables, ham sausage, convenience food, soy sauce, fruit juice, or cream-based foods.

[0044] Preferably, the reduced syrup is used as at least one of a sweetener, preservative, humectant, or fermentation agent in food.

[0045] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention provides a reduced maltose syrup with a high content of sugar alcohol components with a degree of polymerization of three or higher, such as maltodextrin, maltotetratextrin, and oligosaccharides. Its sweetness is only 30% of that of white sugar, and its sweetness is mild. It has high water activity and good moisturizing properties. It has high viscosity, good coloring stability, and is conducive to food fermentation. It has wide applications as a sweetener, preservative, humectant, or fermentation agent in food.

[0046] The present invention also provides a method for preparing reduced syrup, which is stable and simple to operate, and can stably produce reduced syrup that meets market demand, thereby increasing the added value of the finished product. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The following specific embodiments further illustrate the content of the present invention in detail. It should also be understood that the following embodiments are only for further explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Non-essential improvements and adjustments made by those skilled in the art based on the principles described in the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific process parameters, etc., in the following examples are merely examples within a suitable range; that is, those skilled in the art can make selections within a suitable range based on the description herein, and are not intended to be limited to the specific data in the examples below. Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials, reagents, or apparatus used in the following embodiments can be obtained from conventional commercial channels or by existing known methods.

[0048] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the pH value of the starch liquefaction liquid is 5-6, and the DE value is 16-17.5.

[0049] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the decolorizing agent is selected from activated carbon, the ion exchange resin is selected from anion exchange resin, and the concentration method is selected from evaporation concentration.

[0050] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the high-temperature liquefying enzyme is selected from Novozymes Rifule acid-resistant and high-temperature α-amylase.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] This example provides a reduced syrup, and the preparation process is shown below:

[0053] 1) Using corn as raw material, after crushing, starch milk is added to the mixing tank, sodium carbonate solution is added, the pH value of starch milk is adjusted to about 6, and high temperature resistant liquefying enzyme is continuously added. After mixing, the liquid is sent to the liquefaction ejector, heated directly with steam, and then flash evaporated to cool the material to about 98°C. It is then pumped to the liquefaction column for liquefaction reaction to obtain starch liquefaction liquid.

[0054] 2) Take 4 kg of starch liquefaction liquid with pH 5.83 and dry matter mass concentration of 32.1%, add 0.642 mL of Novozymes Rifule acid-resistant and high-temperature resistant α-amylase at 90℃ and react for 24 h. After decolorization and filtration, obtain a feed solution with pH 6.58 and conductivity of 15 μS / cm by ion exchange. Concentrate to a dry matter mass concentration of 30% and then hydrogenate.

[0055] 3) Add 150g of Raney nickel and 2g of magnesium powder to 2kg of liquid material, mix well, and then add to the hydrogenation reactor. During the reaction, maintain the temperature at 130-140℃ and the pressure at 6.0-7.0MPa for 6 hours.

[0056] 4) After hydrogenation, nickel is removed, activated carbon is used for decolorization, and ion exchange is performed using anion exchange resins followed by evaporation and concentration to obtain the final product, reduced maltose. The product before hydrogenation in step 2) and the final product after hydrogenation were tested separately, and the test results are shown in Table 1.

[0057] Table 1 Product inspection results of Example 1

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] Example 2

[0061] This example provides a reduced syrup, and the preparation process is shown below:

[0062] 1) Using corn as raw material, after crushing, starch milk is added to the mixing tank, sodium carbonate solution is added, the pH value of starch milk is adjusted to about 6, and high temperature resistant liquefying enzyme is continuously added. After mixing, the liquid is sent to the liquefaction ejector, heated directly with steam, and then flash evaporated to cool the material to about 98°C. It is then pumped to the liquefaction column for liquefaction reaction to obtain starch liquefaction liquid.

[0063] 2) Take 4 kg of starch liquefaction liquid with pH 5.70 and dry matter mass concentration of 31.2%, add 0.624 mL of high temperature liquefaction enzyme at 90℃ and react for 20 h. After decolorization and filtration, obtain a material solution with pH 6.86 and conductivity of 14 μS / cm by ion exchange. Concentrate to a dry matter mass concentration of 35% and then hydrogenate.

[0064] 3) Add 150g of wet nickel and 2g of magnesium powder to 2kg of liquid material, mix well, and then add to the hydrogenation reactor. During the reaction, maintain the temperature at 130-140℃ and the pressure at 6.0-7.0MPa for 6 hours.

[0065] 4) After hydrogenation, nickel is removed, activated carbon is used for decolorization, and ion exchange is performed using anion exchange resins followed by evaporation and concentration to obtain the finished reduced syrup. The test results of the finished reduced syrup are shown in Table 2.

[0066] Table 2. Test results of reduced maltose in Example 2

[0067]

[0068] Examples 3-7

[0069] Examples 3-7 provide a reduced syrup, the preparation process of which differs from that of Example 1 in that the reaction temperature, reaction time, and amount of thermostable liquefying enzyme added in step 2) are shown in Table 3. The composition of the obtained reduced syrup product was tested, and the results are recorded in Table 3.

[0070] Table 3. Reaction conditions and test results of reduced maltose in Examples 3-7.

[0071]

[0072]

[0073] Table 3 shows that the saccharification step has a crucial impact on the quality of the final reduced syrup, especially the reaction temperature, reaction time, and enzyme dosage. Controlling the reaction temperature to 60–100℃ for 15–36 hours, and maintaining a heat-resistant liquefying enzyme to dry matter ratio of 0.4–1.0 mL:1 kg, ensures that the obtained reduced syrup product meets internal control requirements. The preparation method provided by this invention is stable, simple to operate, and can reliably produce reduced syrup that meets market demands, thereby increasing the added value of the finished product.

[0074] The reduced syrup provided by this invention has a high content of sugar alcohol components with a degree of polymerization of three or higher, such as maltotriose, maltotetraose, and oligosaccharides. Its sweetness is only 30% of that of white sugar, and its sweetness is mild. It has high water activity and good moisturizing properties. It has high viscosity, good coloring stability, and is conducive to food fermentation. It has wide applications as a sweetener, preservative, humectant, or fermentation agent in food.

Claims

1. A method for preparing reduced syrup, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A high-temperature resistant liquefying enzyme is added to the starch liquefaction liquid to carry out a saccharification reaction, resulting in a saccharified liquid; then, decolorization and filtration, followed by ion exchange, are performed to obtain a purified liquid; next, a hydrogenation reaction is carried out under the catalysis of nickel powder and magnesium powder to obtain a hydrogenated liquid; finally, purification is performed to obtain the reduced syrup. The saccharification reaction temperature is 85~95℃; the saccharification reaction time is 15~36h; in the saccharification reaction, the ratio of the amount of the heat-resistant liquefying enzyme to the dry matter of the liquefaction liquid is 0.4~1.0mL:1kg; The reduced syrup comprises a sugar alcohol component and water. The sugar alcohol component comprises the following components by mass percentage: 4-10% sorbitol, 6-21% maltodextrin, 11-16% maltotrititol, 5-8% maltotetratitol, and 51-68% oligosaccharide alcohol, wherein the degree of polymerization of the oligosaccharide alcohol is greater than or equal to five. The viscosity of the reduced syrup at 25°C is 1000-1500 mPa·s. The mass concentration of the sugar alcohol component in the reduced syrup is 65-75%.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pH of the reduced syrup is 3 to 6.

5.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass concentration of reducing sugar in the reduced syrup is ≤0.5%.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogenation reaction is carried out at a temperature of 120~150℃; And / or, the hydrogenation reaction takes 3 to 8 hours; And / or, the pressure of the hydrogenation reaction is 5~8 MPa.

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