Solid food and solid milk

Abstract

Provided are a solid food and a solid milk which can prevent a product from being damaged when the product falls down and improve performance suitable for transportation. The solid food product is a solid food product obtained by compression molding a powder, and a drop test for dropping the solid food product onto a drop surface is repeated until the solid food product breaks. The number of drops up to fracture is 3 or more when the drop energy density EF per unit fracture stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density in the drop test by the fracture stress of the solid food is 2 * 10-4 [(J / m2) / (N / m2)], the number of drops up to fracture is 10 or more when the EF is 1 * 10-4 [(J / m2) / (N / m2)], and the number of drops up to fracture exceeds 30 when the EF is 5 * 10-5 [(J / m2) / (N / m2)].

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an application with a filing date of September 3, 2020, application number 202080063878.3, and invention name “Solid Food and Solid Milk”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to solid food and solid milk. Background Art

[0003] As a solid food, solid milk obtained by compressing milk powder is known (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The solid milk is required to have solubility that allows it to dissolve quickly in warm water and to have suitable transportation performance, that is, to have resistance to rupture such that it will not break or collapse during transportation or carrying.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a food (solid milk) having an upper surface having a flat region, a lower surface having a flat region parallel to the flat region of the upper surface, and a recessed portion provided on one or both of the upper surface and the lower surface.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing solid milk, which comprises dispersing gas in liquid milk and spray drying to form milk powder, and compressing the obtained milk powder to form solid milk. Patent Document 2 describes the following: Using a commercially available load sensor tablet hardness tester, a rectangular solid milk is pressed with a breaking terminal at a constant speed, and the load [N] when the solid milk breaks is obtained, and the load is used as the hardness [N] of the solid milk.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5350799

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 5688020 Summary of the invention

[0010] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0011] However, when solid food and solid milk are handled during transportation, in stores, at home, etc., there is a demand for improved performance suitable for transportation in order to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a solid food and solid milk that can prevent a product from being damaged when the product falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0013] Solutions for solving problems

[0014] The solid food of the present invention is a solid food obtained by compression molding a powder. When a drop test is repeatedly performed in which the solid food is dropped onto a drop surface until the solid food breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid food is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0015] The solid milk of the present invention is a solid milk obtained by compression molding milk powder. When a drop test is repeatedly performed in which the solid milk is dropped onto a drop surface until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the solid food of the present invention, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress in the drop test is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2)] when the number of drops until the product breaks exceeds 30 times, thereby preventing the product from being damaged when it falls and improving its suitability for transportation.

[0018] According to the solid milk of the present invention, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress in the drop test is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )] when the number of drops until the product breaks exceeds 30 times, thereby preventing the product from being damaged when it falls and improving its suitability for transportation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of solid milk according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of solid milk along the X1-X2 direction.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of solid milk along the Y1-Y2 direction.

[0022] Figure 4 The photographs show the results of a scraping test to confirm that the outer surface of the solid milk is harder than the inner part of the body.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of solid milk according to Modification 1.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of solid milk X1-X2.

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of solid milk taken at Y1-Y2.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional diagram of solid milk according to Modification Example 2.

[0027] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of solid milk X1-X2.

[0028] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of solid milk taken at Y1-Y2.

[0029] Fig.11 This is a three-dimensional diagram of solid milk according to Modification 3.

[0030] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of solid milk X1-X2.

[0031] Fig.13 yes Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of solid milk taken at Y1-Y2.

[0032] Fig.14 It is a perspective view of solid milk of a comparative example.

[0033] Fig.15 yes Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of solid milk X1-X2.

[0034] Fig.16 yes Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of solid milk taken at Y1-Y2.

[0035] Fig.17 This is a graph showing the number of drops until rupture relative to the drop energy density per unit fracture stress in the first example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples and can be modified appropriately within a range obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0037] <Implementation Method>

[0038] (Composition of solid milk 10S)

[0039] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of solid milk 10S according to this embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along X1-X2 and parallel to the YZ plane. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken at Y1-Y2 and parallel to the XZ plane.

[0040] Solid milk 10S has a solid body 10 obtained by compression molding milk powder. The body 10 has: a first surface 10A parallel to the XY plane and flat, and a second surface 10B parallel to the XY plane and flat. The first surface 10A and the second surface 10B are back-to-back surfaces. The shape of the body 10 is determined by the shape of the mold (mortar of the tablet press) used in the compression molding, but there is no particular limitation as long as it has a certain size (size, thickness, angle). The overall shape of the body 10 is cylindrical, elliptical, cubic, rectangular, plate-like, polygonal, pyramidal or polyhedral, etc. From the viewpoint of simplicity of molding, convenience of transportation, etc., cylindrical, elliptical and rectangular shapes are preferred. Figure 1 to Figure 3 The overall shape of the body 10 of the solid milk 10S shown is a×b×c (refer to Figure 1 ) has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the main body 10 has a side 10C parallel to the XZ plane or parallel to the YZ plane.

[0041] The above-mentioned back-to-back surfaces only need to be in a positional relationship such that one surface and the other surface are in a positional relationship that can penetrate the above-mentioned hole. In one example, the back-to-back surfaces are in a positional relationship in which one surface is not directly connected to each other and the other surface is connected to the other surface through a surface other than these surfaces. In another example, the back-to-back surfaces are in a positional relationship in which one surface is directly connected to the other surface including a curved surface. The back-to-back surfaces are not necessarily in a parallel positional relationship.

[0042] The main body 10 is provided with a hole 11 that penetrates the main body 10 from the first surface 10A to the second surface 10B. The number of the hole 11 is at least one. Figure 1 The case where there is one hole 11 is shown. The shape of the hole 11 is, for example, an oblong circle, a rounded rectangle, an ellipse, a circle, a rectangle, a square, or other polygonal shape in a cross section parallel to the XY plane. Figure 1 In the solid milk 10S shown, the shape of the hole 11 is an oblong. When the shape of the hole 11 is a shape with corners such as a rectangle or a square, it may be a shape with rounded corners. The size of the hole 11 can be selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the volume of the hole 11 from the volume of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the main body 10 is a predetermined value.

[0043] The position of the hole 11 is preferably a position without large deviation when observed from the center of the first surface 10A. For example, it is preferred that: the position is point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the first surface 10A, or the position is line-symmetrical with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis passing through the center of the first surface 10A. When there is one hole 11, the hole 11 is provided in the center of the first surface 10A. The hole 11 is configured in such a way that the length direction of the oblong in the central part of the first surface 10A is parallel to the X-axis. The same is true when observed from the second surface 10B. The direction in which the hole 11 passes through the main body 10 is the direction passing through the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B, which is a direction roughly parallel to, for example, the Z-axis.

[0044] In the solid milk 10S of the present embodiment, the first surface 10A, the second surface 10B, and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 are outer surfaces harder than the inner part of the body 10. The inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 constitutes a cylindrical column provided between the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B. The side surface 10C of the body 10 is also an outer surface harder than the inner part of the body 10. The inner part of the body 10, which is an index of the hardness of the outer surface, is, for example, a position where the distance from the first surface 10A and the distance from the second surface 10B are equal in the portion where the hole 11 is not provided, and the distance from the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 is equal to the distance from the side surface 10C. Here, the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 and the side surface 10C are surfaces facing each other. The outer surface of the solid milk 10S of the present embodiment is not provided with a coating or the like, but it is a layer harder than the inner part of the body 10 because the milk powder compression molded product is subjected to a hardening treatment as described below. The method of confirming that the outer surface of the main body 10 is a harder layer than the inner part can be performed as follows, for example. Figure 4 This is a photograph of the result of a scraping test for confirming that the outer surface is harder than the inner part of the main body of solid milk. In the scraping test, the main body 10 of solid milk is cut into a cross section including an arbitrary position, preferably a position where the distance from the first surface 10A is equal to the distance from the second surface 10B of the portion where the hole 11 is not provided, and a position where the distance from the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 is equal to the distance from the side surface 10C. In the exposed cross section, the soft part inside the main body 10 is scraped using an arbitrary scraping jig. Here, by maintaining a constant scraping force, only the soft part is scraped and a relatively hard part remains. As a result, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the soft part inside the body 10 is removed and the hard outer surface of the body 10 is retained. In this way, the outer surface of the body 10 becomes a layer harder than the inner part of the body 10. That is, the outer surface of the body 10 is a layer harder than the inner part of the body 10 means that the force required to peel off the thin layer is relatively greater near the surface of the body 10 than inside the body 10.

[0045] The surface is a surface forming the outside of a substance. The surface layer is a layer near the surface including the surface. In the present embodiment, the outer surface of the solid milk 10S refers to a layer near the surface including the surface, that is, the surface layer.

[0046] The corner of the main body 10 formed by the first surface 10A and the side surface 10C and the corner of the main body 10 formed by the second surface 10B and the side surface 10C are chamfered to form a tapered inclined surface. Similarly, the corner of the edge of the hole 11 formed by the first surface 10A and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 and the corner of the edge of the hole 11 formed by the second surface 10B and the inner wall surface 11A are chamfered to form a tapered inclined surface. The tapered inclined surfaces at the corners of the main body 10 and the edge of the hole 11 are both outer surfaces that are harder than the inside of the main body. In addition, the corner formed by the surface parallel to the YZ plane and the surface parallel to the XZ plane in the side surface 10C can be rounded. Since the corner is chamfered or rounded, it is possible to suppress the solid milk 10S from breaking during transportation.

[0047] The solid milk 10S of the present embodiment is provided with at least one hole 11 penetrating the main body 10 constituting the solid milk 10S, and the inner wall surface of the hole 11 is an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body, similarly to the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B of the main body 10. Therefore, the solid milk 10S of the present embodiment is configured as follows: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk described later is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the milk is broken is more than 30. Here, "breakage" means that the weight of the solid milk is reduced by more than 9% of the initial weight when the milk is broken during the drop, and the broken surface is spread to four surfaces.

[0048] The solid milk of this embodiment is preferably: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk described later is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2)], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 4 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 13 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the solid milk breaks is more than 40. More preferably, when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk described later is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 5 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 17 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 50.

[0049] For example, the diameter of the hole 11 when the hole 11 is circular or substantially circular in the cross section parallel to the XY plane, or the opening width of the hole 11 in the short axis or short side direction when the hole 11 is an elongated shape such as an oblong is 1.5 mm or more, preferably 2.0 mm or more, and more preferably 3.0 mm or more. The upper limit of the diameter or opening width of the hole 11 is half the length (a / 2) of the long side of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B of the solid milk 10S in the long side direction, and half the length (b / 2) of the short side in the short side direction. The angle formed by the direction in which the hole 11 passes through and the normal line of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B is within the range of 0° or more and 30° or less, and preferably the angle formed by the normal line of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B is within the range of 0° or more and 10° or less. The direction in which the angle formed with the normal line of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B is 0° refers to the normal line direction of the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B, that is, the direction perpendicular to the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B. The angle of the tapered inclined surface provided at the corner of the edge of the hole 11 formed by the first surface 10A and the inner wall surface 11A of the hole 11 and the corner of the edge of the hole 11 formed by the second surface 10B and the inner wall surface 11A is in the range of 15° to 75° relative to the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B, preferably in the range of 30° to 60° relative to the first surface 10A and the second surface 10B. For example, the shape of the hole 11 in the cross section parallel to the XY plane may be a circle, a substantially circle, a polygon such as an octagon, a heptagon, a hexagon, a pentagon, a quadrilateral, a triangle, or any other shape such as a heart, a star, a spade, or a clover.

[0050] The number of holes 11 formed in the solid milk 10S is at least one. Figure 1 The number of holes 11 of the solid milk shown is 1. The number of holes 11 is preferably 1 to 6. More preferably, it is 2 to 6, and the number of holes 11 can be 6.

[0051] The components of the solid milk 10S are basically the same as those of the powdered milk used as the raw material, and the components of the solid milk 10S include, for example, fat, protein, sugar, minerals, vitamins, and water.

[0052] Milk powder is made from liquid milk (liquid milk) containing milk components (e.g., milk components). Examples of milk components include raw milk (whole milk), skim milk, and cream. The water content of liquid milk is, for example, 40% to 95% by weight. The water content of milk powder is, for example, 1% to 4% by weight. The nutritional ingredients described below can be added to milk powder. As long as it is suitable for manufacturing solid milk 10S, milk powder can be whole milk powder, skim milk powder, or cream powder. The fat content of milk powder is, for example, preferably 5% to 70% by weight.

[0053] The milk component that is the raw material of the above-mentioned milk powder is derived from, for example, raw milk. Specifically, it is raw milk derived from cows (Dutch cows, Jersey cattle, etc.), goats, sheep, buffaloes, etc. The raw milk may contain fat components, but part or all of the fat components are removed by centrifugation, etc., and the fat content is adjusted.

[0054] Furthermore, the milk component that is the raw material of the above-mentioned milk powder is, for example, a plant-derived vegetable milk. Specifically, it is a plant-derived substance such as soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, peanut milk, etc. The above-mentioned vegetable milk may contain fat components, but part or all of the fat components are removed by centrifugation, etc., and the fat content is adjusted.

[0055] The nutritional components that are the raw materials of the above-mentioned milk powder include, for example, fat, protein, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins, etc. One or two or more of these may be added.

[0056] Proteins that can be raw materials of the above-mentioned milk powder include, for example, milk protein and milk protein fractions, animal protein, plant protein, and peptides and amino acids of various chain lengths decomposed by enzymes or the like. One or more of these can be added. Milk protein includes, for example, casein, whey protein (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, etc.), such as whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI), etc. Animal protein includes, for example, egg protein. Plant protein includes, for example, soy protein and wheat protein. Amino acids include, for example, taurine, cystine, cysteine, arginine and glutamine, etc.

[0057] The fats (oils) that can be the raw materials of the above-mentioned milk powder are animal fats, vegetable fats, separated oils of these, hydrogenated oils and transesterified oils. One or more of these can be added. Examples of animal fats are milk fat, lard, tallow and fish oil. Examples of vegetable fats are soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0058] The sugars that can be the raw materials of the above-mentioned milk powder are, for example, oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, polysaccharides and artificial sweeteners. One or more of these can be added. Oligosaccharides are, for example, lactose, sucrose, maltose, galacto-oligosaccharides, oligofructose, lactulose, etc. Monosaccharides are, for example, glucose, fructose and galactose. Polysaccharides are, for example, starch, soluble polysaccharides and dextrin, etc. It should be noted that artificial sweeteners of non-sugar can be used instead of artificial sweeteners of sugar, or artificial sweeteners of non-sugar can be used on the basis of artificial sweeteners of sugar.

[0059] Minerals that can be raw materials of the above-mentioned milk powder include, for example, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc. One or more of these can be added. It should be noted that one or both of phosphorus and chlorine can be used instead of the minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc, or one or both of phosphorus and chlorine can be used in addition to the minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc.

[0060] There are a plurality of pores (e.g., pores) on the solid milk 10S that are generated when the milk powder that is the raw material of the solid milk 10S is compressed and molded. These multiple pores are preferably evenly dispersed (distributed) in the solid milk 10S, thereby enabling the solid milk 10S to be evenly dissolved and the solubility of the solid milk 10S to be improved. Here, the larger (wider) the pores, the easier it is for solvents such as water to penetrate, so that the solid milk 10S can be dissolved quickly. On the other hand, when the pores are too large, the hardness of the solid milk 10S sometimes weakens or the surface of the solid milk 10S becomes rough. The size (size) of each pore is, for example, 10 μm to 500 μm. It should be noted that the size (size) of each pore and the distribution of the majority of pores can be measured, for example, by using a scanning electron microscope and observing the surface and cross-section of the solid milk 10S by known means. The porosity of the solid milk 10S can be determined by such a measurement.

[0061] The porosity of the solid milk 10S is, for example, 30% to 60%. The greater the porosity, the higher the solubility, but the weaker the hardness (strength). In addition, the smaller the porosity, the worse the solubility. The porosity of the solid milk 10S is not limited to the range of 30% to 60%, and can be appropriately adjusted according to its use, etc.

[0062] The solid milk 10S needs to have a certain degree of solubility in a solvent such as water. The solubility can be evaluated by, for example, the time required for the solid milk 10S to completely dissolve or the amount of undissolved residue within a predetermined time when the solid milk 10S as a solute and water as a solvent are prepared to have a predetermined concentration.

[0063] The solid milk 10S preferably has a hardness within a specified range. The hardness can be measured using a known method. In this specification, a load cell tablet hardness tester is used to measure the hardness. The solid milk 10S is placed on a load cell tablet hardness tester in a manner such that the second surface of the solid milk 10S in a rectangular shape is used as the bottom surface, and is fixed using one surface of the side 10C parallel to the XZ plane and one surface parallel to the YZ plane. The fractured terminal of the hardness tester is used to measure the hardness from the other unfixed side of the side 10C parallel to the XZ plane along the short axis direction of the first surface 10A ( Figure 1The solid milk 10S is pressed at a constant speed in the direction of the YZ plane becoming the fracture surface (in the Y-axis direction), and the load [N] when the solid milk 10S breaks is taken as the hardness (tablet hardness) [N) of the solid milk 10S. For example, a load sensor tablet hardness tester (portable tester PC-30) manufactured by Okada Seiko Co., Ltd. is used. The fracture terminal built into the hardness tester has a contact surface that contacts the solid milk 10S. The contact surface of the fracture terminal is a rectangle of 1mm×24mm, and the long side of the rectangle is configured to face a direction parallel to the Z axis. The contact surface of the fracture terminal is configured in a manner that at least partially presses the measuring point of the solid milk 10S. The speed at which the fracture terminal presses the solid milk 10S is set to 0.5mm / second. The above-mentioned hardness measurement is not limited to the solid milk 10S, but can also be applied to the case of measuring the hardness of the milk powder compression molded product (unhardened solid milk 10S) described later. Regarding the hardness measured as above, in order to avoid the solid milk 10S from breaking when transporting the solid milk 10S as much as possible, the hardness of the solid milk 10S is preferably 20N or more, more preferably 40N or more. On the other hand, if the hardness of the solid milk 10S is too high, the solubility of the solid milk 10S deteriorates, so the hardness of the solid milk 10S is preferably 100N or less, more preferably 70N or less.

[0064] The hardness used here is a physical quantity of force with the unit of [N (Newton)]. The hardness increases as the fracture area of ​​the solid milk sample increases. Here, "fracture" refers to the breakage when a static vertical load is applied to a sample such as solid milk 10S, and the cross-sectional area generated when the breakage occurs is called the "fracture area". That is, the hardness [N] is a physical quantity that depends on the size of the solid milk sample. As a physical quantity that does not depend on the size of the solid milk sample, there is the fracture stress [N / m 2 ]. Fracture stress is the force applied per unit fracture area at the time of fracture, and is independent of the size of the solid milk sample. It is an indicator that can compare the mechanical action applied to the solid milk sample even between solid milk samples of different sizes. For example, in the case of solid milk 10S, the ideal fracture area is represented by the size b×c that becomes the minimum fracture area of ​​the solid milk, and the fracture stress = hardness / fracture area. In this specification, hardness [N] is sometimes used for simple explanation, but these can be expressed as fracture stress [N / m 2 For example, when the overall shape of the solid milk 10S is a rectangular parallelepiped with dimensions of 31 mm (a) × 24 mm (b) × 12.5 mm (c), the ideal fracture area is 300 mm. 2 (24 mm (b) × 12.5 mm (c)). The preferred hardness range of the solid milk 10S of 20 N or more and 100 N or less corresponds to the hardness divided by the fracture area (300 mm 2 ) and the obtained 0.067N / mm 2Above and 0.33N / mm 2 The following is a preferred fracture stress range.

[0065] The preferred range of the fracture stress of the solid milk 10S is 0.067 N / mm2 when the fracture area is taken into consideration. 2 Above and 0.739N / mm 2 the following.

[0066] (Method for producing solid milk 10S)

[0067] Next, the method for producing the solid milk 10S is described. First, milk powder, which is a raw material of the solid milk 10S, is produced. In the production process of milk powder, for example, the milk powder is produced through a liquid milk preparation process, a liquid milk clarification process, a sterilization process, a homogenization process, a concentration process, a gas dispersion process, and a spray drying process.

[0068] The liquid milk preparation step is a step of preparing liquid milk having the above-mentioned ingredients.

[0069] The liquid milk clarification step is a step for removing fine foreign matter contained in the liquid milk. In order to remove the foreign matter, for example, a centrifuge, a filter, etc. can be used.

[0070] The sterilization process is a process for killing microorganisms such as bacteria contained in water and milk components of liquid milk. The microorganisms actually contained in liquid milk vary depending on the type of liquid milk, so the sterilization conditions (sterilization temperature, retention time) are appropriately set according to the microorganisms.

[0071] The homogenization process is a process for homogenizing liquid milk. Specifically, the particle size of solid components such as fat globules contained in the liquid milk is reduced so that they are evenly dispersed in the liquid milk. In order to reduce the particle size of the solid components in the liquid milk, for example, the liquid milk can be passed through a narrow gap while being pressurized.

[0072] The concentration process is a process for concentrating liquid milk before the spray drying process described later. The concentration of liquid milk can be performed using, for example, a vacuum evaporator or a rotary evaporator. The concentration conditions are appropriately set within a range that does not cause excessive deterioration of the components of the liquid milk. In this way, concentrated milk can be obtained from liquid milk. Next, in the present embodiment, it is preferred to disperse the gas in the concentrated liquid milk (concentrated milk) and spray dry it. At this time, as the water content of the concentrated milk, for example, 35% by weight to 60% by weight can be listed, preferably 40% by weight to 60% by weight, and more preferably 40% by weight to 55% by weight. When such concentrated milk is used to disperse the gas, the volume is increased by reducing the density of the liquid milk (concentrated milk), and the concentrated milk in such an increased volume state is spray dried, thereby obtaining a milk powder with preferred characteristics when manufacturing solid milk. It should be noted that this process can be omitted when the water content of the liquid milk is small and the processing amount of the liquid milk to be the object of the spray drying process is small.

[0073] The gas dispersion step is a step for dispersing a predetermined gas in the liquid milk (concentrated milk). In this case, the predetermined gas may be, for example, 1×10 of the volume of the liquid milk. -2 The volume of the liquid milk is preferably 1×10 times or more and 7 times or less. -2 times and less than 5 times the volume of the liquid milk, more preferably 1×10 -2 times or more and 4 times or less, and most preferably 1×10 -2 times and less than 3 times.

[0074] In order to disperse the prescribed gas in the liquid milk, it is preferred to apply the prescribed gas. The pressure of the pressurized prescribed gas is not particularly limited as long as it is within the range that can effectively disperse the gas in the liquid milk. Examples of the gas pressure of the prescribed gas include 1.5 atmospheres to 10 atmospheres, preferably 2 atmospheres to 5 atmospheres. Since the liquid milk is sprayed in the following spray drying process, it flows along a prescribed flow path. In the gas dispersion process, the pressurized prescribed gas is made to flow in the flow path, thereby dispersing (mixing) the gas in the liquid milk. By doing so, the prescribed gas can be easily and reliably dispersed in the liquid milk as concentrated milk.

[0075] In this way, the density of liquid milk (concentrated milk) is reduced by the gas dispersion process, and the apparent volume (loose) is increased. It should be noted that the density of liquid milk can be obtained as a value obtained by dividing the weight of liquid milk by the total volume of liquid milk in liquid state and foam state. In addition, it can be measured by a method such as bulk density measurement based on JIS method (pigment: based on JIS K5101) and using a density measuring device.

[0076] Therefore, liquid milk in which a predetermined gas is dispersed flows in the flow passage. Here, it is preferable that the volume flow rate of the liquid milk in the flow passage is controlled to be constant.

[0077] In this embodiment, carbon dioxide (carbonic acid gas) can be used as the prescribed gas. In the flow path, the ratio of the volume flow of carbon dioxide to the volume flow of liquid milk (hereinafter, this percentage is also referred to as "CO2 mixing ratio [%]"), for example, can be listed as 1% or more and 700% or less, preferably 2% or more and 300% or less, more preferably 3% or more and 100% or less, and most preferably 5% or more and 45% or less. In this way, by controlling the volume flow of carbon dioxide to be constant relative to the volume flow of liquid milk, the uniformity of the milk powder produced by it can be improved. However, when the CO2 mixing ratio is too large, the proportion of liquid milk flowing in the flow path becomes low, and the manufacturing efficiency of milk powder deteriorates. Therefore, the upper limit of the CO2 mixing ratio is preferably 700%. In addition, the pressure of carbon dioxide is not particularly limited as long as it is within the range that can effectively disperse carbon dioxide in liquid milk. As the gas pressure of carbon dioxide, for example, 1.5 atmospheres and 10 atmospheres can be listed, preferably 2 atmospheres and 5 atmospheres. It should be noted that by continuously (online) mixing carbon dioxide and liquid milk in a closed system, mixing of bacteria and the like can be reliably prevented, and the sanitary state of milk powder can be improved (or a high cleanliness level can be maintained).

[0078] In the present embodiment, the prescribed gas used in the gas dispersion process is carbon dioxide gas. Instead of carbon dioxide gas or together with carbon dioxide gas, one or more gases selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) may be used, and rare gases (e.g., argon (Ar), helium (He)) may also be used. In this way, since various gases can be used as options, the gas dispersion process can be easily performed by using easily available gases. In the gas dispersion process, when inactive gases such as nitrogen and rare gases are used, there is no concern about reactions with the nutritional components of liquid milk, etc., so the possibility of deteriorating the liquid milk is small compared to the use of air and oxygen, so it is preferred. At this time, the ratio of the volume flow rate of the gas to the volume flow rate of the liquid milk can be, for example, 1% or more and 700% or less, preferably 1% or more and 500% or less, more preferably 1% or more and 400% or less, and most preferably 1% or more and 300% or less. For example, BELL et al. (RWBELL, FPHANRAHAN, BHWEBB: "FOAM SPRAY METHODS OF READILY DISPERSIBLE NONFAT DRY MILK", J. Dairy Sci, 46 (12) 1963. pp1352-1356) pointed out that in order to obtain skimmed milk powder, air of about 18.7 times the volume of fat-free milk is blown in. In the present embodiment, by dispersing the gas in the above-mentioned range, it is possible to obtain milk powder having properties that are preferred for producing solid milk. However, in order to ensure that the density of the liquid milk is reduced by dispersing the prescribed gas in the liquid milk in the gas dispersion process, it is preferred to use a gas that is easily dispersed in the liquid milk or a gas that is easily dissolved in the liquid milk as the prescribed gas. Therefore, it is preferred to use a gas with high solubility in water (water solubility), preferably at 20°C and at 1 cm 3 The solubility in water is 0.1 cm 3 The above gases. It should be noted that carbon dioxide is not limited to gas, and may be dry ice or a mixture of dry ice and gas. That is, in the gas dispersion step, as long as the specified gas can be dispersed in the liquid milk, a solid may be used. In the gas dispersion step, by using dry ice, carbon dioxide can be quickly dispersed in the cooled liquid milk, and as a result, a milk powder having properties preferred for producing solid milk can be obtained.

[0079] The spray drying process is a process for evaporating the water in the liquid milk to obtain milk powder (powder). The milk powder obtained in the spray drying process is milk powder obtained through the gas dispersion process and the spray drying process. Compared with the milk powder obtained without the gas dispersion process, the volume of the milk powder becomes larger. The volume of the former is preferably 1.01 times or more and 10 times or less than the volume of the latter, and can be 1.02 times or more and 10 times or less, and can also be 1.03 times or more and 9 times or less.

[0080] In the spray drying process, the gas specified in the gas dispersion process is dispersed in the liquid milk, and the liquid milk is directly spray-dried in a state where the density of the liquid milk becomes small. Specifically, it is appropriate to perform spray drying in a state where the volume of the liquid milk after the gas is dispersed is 1.05 times or more and 3 times or less, preferably 1.1 times or more and 2 times or less, compared to the liquid milk before the gas is dispersed. That is, for the spray drying process, spray drying is performed after the gas dispersion process is completed. However, the liquid milk is not in a uniform state immediately after the gas dispersion process is completed. Therefore, the spray drying process is performed for 0.1 seconds or more and 5 seconds or less, preferably 0.5 seconds or more and 3 seconds or less after the gas dispersion process is completed. That is, as long as the gas dispersion process and the spray drying process are continuous, it is sufficient. By operating in this way, liquid milk can be continuously put into the gas dispersion device and the gas can be dispersed, and the liquid milk dispersed with the gas can be continuously supplied to the spray drying device, and spray drying can be continuously performed.

[0081] In order to evaporate the water, a spray dryer can be used. Here, the spray dryer has: a flow path for making the liquid milk flow, a pressure pump for pressurizing the liquid milk so that the liquid milk flows along the flow path, a drying chamber wider than the flow path connected to the opening of the flow path, and a spray device (nozzle, atomizer, etc.) provided at the opening of the flow path. In addition, with respect to the spray dryer, the liquid milk is transported to the drying chamber along the flow path in a manner that becomes the above-mentioned volume flow rate by using the pressure pump, and the concentrated milk is diffused into the drying chamber near the opening of the flow path by using the spray device, and the liquid milk in the droplet (microparticulated) state is dried by the high temperature (e.g., hot air) in the drying chamber. That is, by drying the liquid milk in the drying chamber, the water can be removed, and as a result, the concentrated milk becomes a powdered solid, i.e., milk powder. It should be noted that by appropriately setting the drying conditions in the drying chamber, the water content of the milk powder can be adjusted so that the milk powder is not easy to aggregate. In addition, by using a spray device, the surface area per unit volume of the droplets is increased, the drying efficiency is improved, and the particle size of the milk powder is adjusted.

[0082] By going through the above-mentioned steps, powdered milk suitable for producing solid milk can be produced.

[0083] The milk powder obtained as described above is compression molded to form a milk powder compression molded product. Next, the obtained milk powder compression molded product is subjected to a hardening treatment including a humidification treatment and a drying treatment. In the above manner, solid milk 10S can be manufactured.

[0084] In the process of compressing the milk powder, a compression device is used. The compression device is, for example, a compression molding machine such as a tablet press, a compression testing device, etc. The tablet press has a mortar that serves as a mold for placing the milk powder (powder), and a punch that can be struck toward the mortar. By placing the milk powder in the mortar (mold) and striking the punch, compression pressure can be applied to the milk powder to obtain a milk powder compression molded product. In the present embodiment, for example, the lower punch of the tablet press has a convex portion corresponding to the hole 11, and the upper punch has a concave portion corresponding to the convex portion, forming a shape in which the convex portion can be inserted into the concave portion. By using such a punch for compression molding, the hole 11 can be formed on the milk powder compression molded product. It should be noted that in the compression molding process, it is preferred to perform the compression operation of the milk powder continuously.

[0085] In the process of compressing the milk powder, the temperature of the environment is not particularly limited, and may be room temperature, for example. Specifically, the temperature of the environment is, for example, 5°C to 35°C. The humidity of the environment is, for example, 0%RH to 60%RH. The compression pressure is, for example, 1MPa to 30MPa, preferably 1MPa to 20MPa. In particular, when solidifying the milk powder, it is preferred to control the porosity within the range of 30% to 60% by adjusting the compression pressure within the range of 1MPa to 30MPa, and control the hardness of the milk powder compression molded product (before hardening) within the range of 4N to 19N. In this way, a highly practical solid milk 10S that combines solubility and convenience (easy handling) can be manufactured. It should be noted that the milk powder compression molded product has a hardness (for example, 4N or more) that is not deformed at least in the subsequent humidification process and drying process. For example, when the overall shape of the milk powder compression molded product (before hardening) is a rectangular parallelepiped of 31 mm (a) × 24 mm (b) × 12.5 mm (c) as the solid milk 10S, the preferred hardness range of the milk powder compression molded product (before hardening) of 4 N or more and 19 N or less corresponds to the hardness divided by the fracture area (300 mm 2 ) and the obtained 0.013N / mm 2 Above and below 0.063N / mm 2 This is the preferred fracture stress range.

[0086] The humidification treatment is a process of humidifying the milk powder compression molded product obtained in the compression molding process. When the milk powder compression molded product is humidified, the surface of the milk powder compression molded product becomes sticky (sticky). As a result, a part of the powder particles near the surface of the milk powder compression molded product becomes liquid and gel-like, and becomes cross-linked with each other. In addition, when drying is performed in this state, the strength near the surface of the milk powder compression molded product can be made higher than the strength inside. By adjusting the time (humidification time) placed in a high humidity environment, the degree of cross-linking (extended degree) is adjusted, thereby, the hardness (for example, 4N to 19N) of the milk powder compression molded product (unhardened solid milk 10S) before the humidification process can be increased to the target hardness (for example, 40N) required as the solid milk 10S. However, the range (width) of the hardness that can be increased by adjusting the humidification time is limited. That is, since the milk powder compression molded product after compression molding is humidified, if the hardness of the milk powder compression molded product is insufficient when transported on a belt conveyor, etc., the shape of the solid milk 10S cannot be maintained. In addition, when the hardness of the powdered milk compression molded product is too high during compression molding, only solid milk 10S with small porosity and poor solubility can be obtained. Therefore, in order to make the hardness of the powdered milk compression molded product (unhardened solid milk 10S) before the humidification process sufficiently high and to fully maintain the solubility of the solid milk 10S, it is preferable to perform compression molding.

[0087] In the humidification treatment, the humidification method of the milk powder compression molded product is not particularly limited, and for example, there are the following methods: a method of placing the milk powder compression molded product in a high humidity environment, a method of directly spraying water or the like on the milk powder compression molded product, and a method of blowing steam on the milk powder compression molded product. In order to humidify the milk powder compression molded product, a humidification means is used, and as such a humidification means, for example, there are a high humidity chamber, spraying, and steam.

[0088] When the milk powder compression molded product is placed in a high humidity environment, the humidity of the environment is, for example, in the range of 60% RH to 100% RH. In addition, the humidification time is, for example, 5 seconds to 1 hour, and the temperature in the high humidity environment is, for example, 30°C to 100°C.

[0089] The amount of water added to the milk powder compression molded product during the humidification process (hereinafter also referred to as "humidification amount") can be appropriately adjusted. The humidification amount is preferably 0.5% to 3% by weight of the mass of the milk powder compression molded product after the compression molding process. When the humidification amount is less than 0.5% by weight, it is not preferable because sufficient hardness (tablet hardness) cannot be given to the solid milk 10S. In addition, when the humidification amount is greater than 3% by weight, the milk powder compression molded product excessively becomes liquid or gel-like and dissolves, and the shape of the compression molded product is deformed, or it adheres to devices such as belt conveyors during transportation, which is not preferable.

[0090] The drying process is a process for drying the compressed milk powder that has been moistened by the humidification process. As a result, the surface stickiness (stickiness) of the compressed milk powder disappears, making it easier to handle the solid milk 10S. That is, the humidification process and the drying process are equivalent to the process of increasing the hardness of the compressed milk powder after compression molding and giving the desired properties and quality as the solid milk 10S.

[0091] In the drying process, the drying method of the milk powder compression molded product is not particularly limited, and a known method that can dry the milk powder compression molded product after humidification treatment can be used, such as the following methods: a method of placing under low humidity / high temperature conditions, a method of contacting dry air / high temperature dry air, etc.

[0092] When placed under low humidity / high temperature conditions, the humidity is, for example, 0% RH to 30% RH. Thus, it is preferred to set the humidity as low as possible. At this time, the temperature is, for example, 20° C. to 150° C. The drying time is, for example, 0.2 minutes to 2 hours.

[0093] However, if the solid milk 10S contains a lot of water, the storage property will be poor, and the flavor will deteriorate and the appearance will change color. Therefore, it is preferred that the water content of the solid milk 10S is controlled (adjusted) to within 1% of the water content of the milk powder used as the raw material by controlling the drying temperature, drying time and other conditions in the drying process.

[0094] The solid milk 10S manufactured in this way is usually dissolved in warm water and used for drinking. Specifically, after pouring warm water into a container that can be covered with a lid, the required number of solid milks 10S are added, or the solid milks 10S are added and then the warm water is added. Then, it is preferred to gently shake the container so that the solid milk 10S is quickly dissolved and drunk at a suitable temperature. In addition, it is preferred to dissolve one or more solid milks 10S (more preferably one solid milk 10S) in warm water to obtain the amount of liquid milk required for one drinking. For example, the volume of the solid milk 10S can be made into 1 cm 3 ~50cm 3 It should be noted that the volume of the solid milk 10S can be adjusted by changing the amount of milk powder used in the compression molding step.

[0095] (Function / Effect of Solid Milk 10S)

[0096] The solid milk 10S of the present embodiment is provided with at least one hole 11 penetrating the main body 10 constituting the solid milk 10S, and the inner wall surface of the hole 11 is an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body, similarly to the first surface 10A, the second surface 10B, and the side surface 10C of the main body 10. Therefore, the solid milk 10S of the present embodiment is configured as follows: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit fracture stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )] the number of drops until the product breaks is more than 30. Thus, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0097] <Variation 1>

[0098] Figure 5 It is a perspective view of solid milk 20S according to the present modification. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken along X1-X2 and parallel to the YZ plane. Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view taken at Y1-Y2 and parallel to the XZ plane. Figure 1 to Figure 3 In the solid milk 10S shown, although one hole 11 is provided penetrating the main body 10, the number of holes may be two or more. In this modified example, two holes 21 are provided.

[0099] The solid milk 20S has a solid body 20 obtained by compression molding milk powder. The body 20 has a first surface 20A parallel to the XY plane and flat, and a second surface 20B parallel to the XY plane and flat. The first surface 20A and the second surface 20B are back-to-back surfaces. The overall shape of the body 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the body 20 has a side surface 20C parallel to the XZ plane or parallel to the YZ plane.

[0100] The main body 20 is provided with two holes 21 extending from the first surface 20A to the second surface 20B and penetrating the main body 20. The shapes of the two holes 21 are oval in the cross section parallel to the XY plane and are the same shape. The size of the two holes 21 can be selected in such a way that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the two holes 21 from the volume of the rectangular shape of the main body 20 becomes a predetermined value.

[0101] The positions of the two holes 21 are positions without large deviations when observed from the central position of the first surface 20A. The two holes 21 are arranged in a direction parallel to the X-axis, clamping the central portion of the first surface 20A, and are configured so that the respective length directions of the holes 21 are in a direction parallel to the Y-axis. This is a configuration in which the two holes 21 are point-symmetrical with respect to the center of the first surface 20A, or are line-symmetrical with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis passing through the center of the first surface 20A. If the interval between the two holes 21 is too narrow, it is possible that the strength of the portion cannot be maintained, so it is ensured to be above the specified value. The same is true when observed from the second surface 20B. The direction in which the hole 21 passes through the main body 20 is the direction passing through the first surface 20A and the second surface 20B, which is a direction roughly parallel to, for example, the Z-axis.

[0102] The first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, the side surface 20C, and the inner wall surface 21A of the hole 21 are outer surfaces harder than the inner part of the body 20. The inner wall surface 21A of the hole 21 constitutes a cylindrical column provided between the first surface 20A and the second surface 20B. The corners of the body 20 and the edges of the hole 21 are chamfered to form an outer surface harder than the inner part of the body 20.

[0103] Except for the above, the configuration is the same as that of the solid milk 10S of the embodiment.

[0104] The solid milk 20S of this modified example is provided with two holes 21 penetrating the main body 20 constituting the solid milk 20S, and the inner wall surface 21A of the hole 21 is an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body 20, similarly to the first surface 20A, the second surface 20B, and the side surface 20C of the main body 20. Therefore, the solid milk 20S of this embodiment is configured as follows: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m2 )] the number of drops until the product breaks is more than 30. Thus, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0105] <Variation 2>

[0106] Figure 8 It is a perspective view of solid milk 30S according to the present modification. Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view taken along X1-X2 and parallel to the YZ plane. Fig.10 yes Figure 8 A cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along the line Y1-Y2 of FIG.

[0107] The solid milk 30S has a rectangular main body 30 having a first surface 30A and a second surface 30B that are back-to-back, and a side surface 30C. The main body 30 is provided with four circular holes 31 that extend from the first surface 30A to the second surface 30B and penetrate the main body 30. The size of the four holes 31 can be selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the portion including the four holes 31 from the volume of the rectangular shape of the main body 30 becomes a predetermined value. The positions of the four holes 31 are arranged to be point-symmetrical when viewed from the center of the first surface 30A, or to be line-symmetrical with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis that passes through the center of the first surface 30A.

[0108] The first surface 30A, the second surface 30B, the side surface 30C, and the inner wall surface 31A of the hole 31 are outer surfaces harder than the inner part of the main body 30. The inner wall surface 31A of the hole 31 constitutes a cylindrical column provided between the first surface 30A and the second surface 30B. The corners of the main body 30 and the edges of the hole 31 are chamfered to form an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body 30.

[0109] The solid milk 30S of this modified example is provided with four holes 31 penetrating the main body 30 constituting the solid milk 30S, and the inner wall surface 31A of the hole 31 is an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body 30, similarly to the first surface 30A, the second surface 30B, and the side surface 30C of the main body 30. Therefore, the solid milk 30S of this embodiment is configured as follows: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2)], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )] the number of drops until the product breaks is more than 30. Thus, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0110] <Variation 3>

[0111] Fig.11 It is a perspective view of solid milk 40S according to the present modification. Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A cross-sectional view taken along X1-X2 and parallel to the YZ plane. Fig.13 yes Fig.11 A cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane taken along the line Y1-Y2 of FIG.

[0112] The solid milk 40S has a rectangular main body 40 having a first surface 40A and a second surface 40B that are back-to-back, and a side surface 40C. Six circular holes 41 are provided on the main body 40, which extend from the first surface 40A to the second surface 40B and penetrate the main body 40. The size of the six holes 41 can be selected so that the volume obtained by subtracting the total volume of the six holes 41 from the volume of the rectangular shape of the main body 40 becomes a predetermined value. The positions of the six holes 41 are arranged to be point-symmetrical when viewed from the central part of the first surface 40A, or to be line-symmetrical with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis or a line parallel to the Y-axis passing through the center of the first surface 40A.

[0113] The first surface 40A, the second surface 40B, the side surface 40C, and the inner wall surface 41A of the hole 41 are outer surfaces harder than the inner part of the body 40. The inner wall surface 41A of the hole 41 constitutes a cylindrical column provided between the first surface 40A and the second surface 40B. The corners of the body 40 and the edges of the hole 41 are chamfered to form an outer surface harder than the inner part of the body 40.

[0114] The solid milk 40S of this modified example is provided with 6 holes 41 penetrating the main body 40 constituting the solid milk 40S, and the inner wall surface 41A of the hole 41 is an outer surface harder than the inner part of the main body 40, similarly to the first surface 40A, the second surface 40B, and the side surface 40C of the main body 40. Therefore, the solid milk 40S of this embodiment is configured as follows: when the drop test of dropping the solid milk onto the drop surface is repeated until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10-4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )] the number of drops until the product breaks is more than 30. Thus, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0115] <Variation 4>

[0116] In the solid milk of the embodiment and variants 1 to 3, although one or more holes are provided in the body of the solid milk, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, even if no hole is formed in the solid milk, by changing the hardening device or hardening conditions described in the embodiment, the following structure can be obtained: EF is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )] when the number of drops until the rupture exceeds 30 times. For example, instead of the hardening treatment based on humidification and drying described in the above-mentioned embodiment, the milk powder compression molding (before hardening) may be irradiated with a near-infrared lamp, a far-infrared lamp, a laser, or a combination of a plurality of these light sources to irradiate a heat light source to harden the surface. In addition, instead of the humidification treatment at a humidity of 60% RH to 100% RH and a temperature of 30°C to 100°C described in the above-mentioned embodiment, a humidification treatment may be performed using water vapor heated to a temperature exceeding 100°C, and then a drying treatment may be performed to harden it. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when it falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0117] <Application Examples>

[0118] Solid milk is an example of solid food. The above-mentioned embodiments and variants 1 to 4 are solid milk obtained by compressing milk powder, but can also be used for solid food formed by compressing powder. For example, it can be applied to solid food obtained by compression molding with protein powders such as whey protein, soy protein and collagen peptide, amino acid powder, and MCT (Middle Chain Triglyceride) and other oil-containing powders as raw materials. Lactose or other sugars are appropriately added to the powder of the raw material, as shown in the above-mentioned embodiments and variants 1 to 4, and compression molding is performed into a shape with a hole through the main body, or a hardening treatment using a laser or the like is subsequently implemented to process it into a solid food. Such a solid food is a structure with an outer surface harder than the inside. As a result, it is possible to prevent the product from being damaged when the product falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation. In addition, in addition to lactose or other sugars, nutrients such as fat, protein, minerals and vitamins, and food additives can also be added to the powder of the raw material.

[0119] Furthermore, the protein powder of the above-mentioned food powder may be casein, meat meal, fish meal, egg powder, wheat protein, wheat protein degradation product, etc. These protein powders may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0120] Furthermore, the whey protein in the above-mentioned food powder is a general term for proteins in milk except casein. It can be classified into whey protein. Whey protein is composed of various components such as lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, lactoferrin, etc. When milk and other dairy raw materials are adjusted to acidity, the precipitated protein is casein and the non-precipitated protein is whey protein. As powder raw materials containing whey protein, for example, WPC (whey protein concentrate, protein content of 75 to 85% by mass) and WPI (whey protein isolate, protein content of 85% by mass or more) can be listed. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0121] Furthermore, the soy protein of the above-mentioned food powder can be a protein contained in soybeans, or can be extracted from soybeans. In addition, it is also possible to use a protein refined from raw soybeans. There is no particular limitation on the refining method, and a known method can be used. As such soy protein, powders commercially available as raw materials for food and beverages, raw materials for medical use, and nutrition enhancer foods can be used. These can be used alone, or two or more can be used.

[0122] Furthermore, the amino acids contained in the amino acid powder of the above-mentioned food powder are not particularly limited, and for example, arginine, lysine, ornithine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, histidine, proline, cysteine, glutamic acid, asparagine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamine, citrulline, creatine, methyllysine, acetyllysine, hydroxylysine, hydroxyproline, glycine, alanine, threonine, cystine, etc. can be used. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0123] The amino acids contained in the amino acid powder of the above-mentioned food powder may be any of natural products and synthetic products, and a single amino acid or a mixture of multiple amino acids may be used. In addition, as amino acids, not only free amino acids but also salts such as sodium salts, hydrochlorides and acetates and derivatives such as carnitine and ornithine may be used.

[0124] In the present specification, "amino acid" includes α-amino acid, β-amino acid and γ-amino acid. In addition, the amino acid may be either L-form or D-form.

[0125] Furthermore, the oils and fats contained in the oil-containing powder of the above-mentioned food powder are animal fats and fats, vegetable fats and fats, their separated oils, hydrogenated oils and transesterified oils in addition to the above-mentioned MCT oil. One or more of these can be added. Animal fats and fats are, for example, milk fat, lard, tallow and fish oil. Vegetable fats and fats are, for example, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0126] Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned lactose, the sugars of the above-mentioned food powder are, for example, oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, polysaccharides and artificial sweeteners. One or more of these can be added. Oligosaccharides are, for example, lactose, sucrose, maltose, galacto-oligosaccharides, oligofructose, lactulose, etc. Monosaccharides are, for example, glucose, fructose and galactose, etc. Polysaccharides are, for example, starch, soluble polysaccharides and dextrin, etc.

[0127] Furthermore, as an example of a food additive of the above-mentioned food powder, a sweetener can be exemplified. As the sweetener, any sweetener commonly used in food and medicine can be used, and it can be any one of a natural sweetener and a synthetic sweetener. The sweetener is not particularly limited, and for example includes glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, oligosaccharides, granulated sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses, trehalose, palatinose, maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol, glycerol, aspartame, advantame, neotame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and saccharin.

[0128] Furthermore, as an example of the food additive of the above-mentioned food powder, an acidulant can be exemplified. The acidulant is not particularly limited, and includes, for example, acetic acid, citric acid, anhydrous citric acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, and salts thereof. The acidulant can suppress (mask) the bitter taste caused by different types of amino acids.

[0129] Furthermore, the above-mentioned food powder may contain all components such as fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins as nutritional components.

[0130] Examples of fats include animal fats, vegetable fats, their separated oils, hydrogenated oils, and transesterified oils. One or more of these may be added. Examples of animal fats include milk fat, lard, beef tallow, and fish oil. Examples of vegetable fats include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, and MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil.

[0131] As proteins, for example, milk proteins and milk protein fractions, animal proteins, plant proteins, peptides and amino acids of various chain lengths degraded by enzymes, etc. These proteins can be added in one or more than two kinds. Milk proteins are, for example, casein, whey proteins (α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, etc.), whey protein concentrate (WPC) and whey protein isolate (WPI), etc. Animal proteins are, for example, egg proteins (egg powder), meat meal, fish meal, etc. Plant proteins are, for example, soy protein and wheat protein, etc. Peptides are, for example, collagen peptides, etc. Amino acids are, for example, taurine, cystine, cysteine, arginine and glutamine, etc. One or more than two kinds of these can be added.

[0132] Examples of the minerals include iron, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, etc. One or two or more of these may be added.

[0133] Vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, etc. One or two or more of these may be added.

[0134] In addition, other food raw materials include, for example, cocoa powder, raw cocoa powder, chocolate powder, microbial powder containing useful microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria / bifidobacteria, milk fermentation component powder obtained by adding microorganisms to milk and fermenting the culture, cheese powder obtained by powdering cheese, functional food powder obtained by powdering functional food, comprehensive nutritional food powder obtained by powdering comprehensive nutritional food, etc. One or more of these may be added.

[0135] The solid food of the present invention may be in the form of daily ingested food, health food, health supplement food, health functional food, food for specific health use, nutritional functional food, nutritional enhancer, functional labeled food, etc.

[0136] <First embodiment>

[0137] (Production of Example 1)

[0138] Production and Figure 1 to Figure 3 The solid milk sample of the same shape as the embodiment shown is used as Example 1. The size of the solid milk body is 31 mm for the side a in the X-axis direction, 24 mm for the side b in the Y-axis direction, and 12.5 mm for the side c in the Z-axis direction. The volume of the portion excluding the hole 11 is approximately 8250 mm 3 . The size of the tablet press's punch and the compression pressure are adjusted to achieve this size, and 5.4 g of milk powder is compressed and molded to form a milk powder compression molded product. The obtained milk powder compression molded product is subjected to a humidification treatment at a humidification temperature of 80°C, and then subjected to a drying treatment at a drying temperature of 80°C to obtain a solid milk that has been hardened. The humidification treatment time is appropriately adjusted so that the hardness of the solid milk sample after the hardening treatment is 20 to 90N. With regard to the drying time, the time is adjusted so that the portion that has increased in weight during humidification can be completely dried.

[0139] (Production of Example 2)

[0140] The number of holes 21 is 2, and the same method as in Example 1 is used to make the Figure 5 to Figure 7 The solid milk sample having the same shape as that of the modified example 1 shown is used as Example 2. The hardness of the solid milk sample after the hardening treatment is 20 to 90N.

[0141] (Production of Example 3)

[0142] The number of holes 31 is 4, and the same method as in Example 1 is used to make the Figure 8 to Figure 10 The solid milk sample having the same shape as that of the modified example 2 shown is used as Example 3. The hardness of the solid milk sample after the hardening treatment is 20 to 90N.

[0143] (Production of Example 4)

[0144] The number of holes 41 is 6, and the same method as in Example 1 is used for making the same Figure 11 to Figure 13 The solid milk sample having the same shape as that of the modified example 3 shown is used as Example 4. The hardness of the solid milk sample after the hardening treatment is 20 to 90N.

[0145] (Preparation of Comparative Example)

[0146] As a comparative example, a solid milk sample was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that pits were provided instead of holes. Fig.14 It is a perspective view of solid milk 100S of a comparative example. Fig.15 yes Fig.14 A cross-sectional view taken along X1-X2 and parallel to the YZ plane. Fig.16 yes Fig.14 A cross-sectional view parallel to the XZ plane in Y1-Y2 of the solid milk 100S. The solid milk 100S has a rectangular main body 100 having a first surface 100A and a second surface 100B back to back, and a side surface 100C. The side a in the X-axis direction is 31 mm, the side b in the Y-axis direction is 24 mm, and the side c in the Z-axis direction is 12.5 mm. On the main body 100, two pits 100D are provided on the first surface 100A, and two pits 100D are provided on the second surface 100B. Each pit 100D is formed by a smooth curved surface. The size of the pit 100D is selected in such a way that the volume obtained by subtracting the volume of the part of the pit 100D from the volume of the rectangular shape of the main body 100 is equal to the volume of Example 1. In addition, in the comparative example, a cut line 100V is provided on the first surface 100A and the second surface 100B along the direction parallel to the Y axis. The hardness of the solid milk sample after hardening treatment is 20~90N.

[0147] (Evaluation of transport suitability using a drop tester)

[0148] In order to evaluate the performance of suitable transportation based on the shape, a test was carried out in which the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples prepared as described above were dropped multiple times from a height of 50 to 300 mm. The dropping surface in the drop test used the dropping surface of the packaged goods drop test machine DTS-50 of SHINYEI TESTING MACHINERY CO., LTD. The material of the dropping surface is based on JIS standard Z0202 Packaged goods drop test method. In the drop test from a height that cannot be implemented by this machine, only the dropping surface is used. Here, the dropping surface of the above-mentioned machine is a horizontal surface. The second surface of the solid milk sample is placed as the bottom surface at a height of 50 to 300 mm perpendicular to the dropping surface and clamped at 2 or 3 points on the side of the solid milk sample for fixing. The fixed points are separated from the solid milk sample at the same time and fall freely. The falling posture of each solid milk sample of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples during free fall is implemented in a manner in which the second surface is parallel to the dropping surface.

[0149] The definition of the drop surface in JIS is as follows. (a) The mass of the components constituting the drop surface is expected to be at least 50 times the mass of the test piece. (b) The level difference between any two points on the surface is less than 2 mm. (c) At any point on the surface, the drop surface is subjected to a force of 98 N {10 kgf} / 100 mm. 2 (d) The specimen is large enough to fall completely. (e) The drop surface is made of a solid material such as concrete, stone, or steel.

[0150] When the solid milk sample is broken during the drop test and the weight is reduced by more than 9% of the initial weight and the broken surface spreads to the four sides, it is judged to have broken. The maximum weight of the small piece of the solid milk sample after the drop test (5.4g before the test) is defined as "broken" when it becomes less than 5g. As an evaluation method for the drop test, it is dropped from a height of 50mm to 300mm to the drop surface, and the number of drops until it breaks is measured.

[0151] The above drop test was repeated for each solid milk sample, and the number of drops until the sample broke was investigated (the number of drop tests applied until the sample "broke"). The drop energy density (sample weight × gravitational acceleration × height / fracture area) [J / m 2 ] divided by the hardness per unit fracture area (fracture stress) [N / m 2 ] is the drop energy density per unit fracture stress. Assuming that the area of ​​fracture when dropped and the area of ​​fracture when subjected to a static fracture test are equal to the minimum area of ​​the specimen, this index can also be interpreted as the drop energy per unit hardness [J / N]. Fig.17 The vertical axis is (here, the fracture area is the cross-sectional area (b×c) of the YZ plane of each sample). In addition, the number of drops until fracture obtained in the above is shown in Fig.17 's horizontal axis. Fig.17 It is a graph showing the number of drops until rupture relative to the drop energy density per unit fracture stress. Fig.17 In the figures, a represents the result of Example 1, b represents Example 2, c represents Example 3, d represents Example 4, and e represents Comparative Example.

[0152] Fig.17 Among them, a, b, c, d, and e are all graphs that tilt downward to the right, with the smaller the drop energy density per unit fracture stress, the greater the number of drops until rupture. This is because the smaller the drop energy per unit hardness, the less likely it is to rupture, and the number of drops until rupture increases. In addition, even in the case where the drop energy density per unit fracture stress is small, such as when the drop height is low, rupture is confirmed by increasing the number of drops. In addition, among a, b, c, d, and e, the result of the comparative example represented by e is located at the bottom or left side, showing that rupture occurs with fewer drops when falling with the same drop energy per unit hardness.

[0153] In addition, the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 showed that the number of drops applied until they broke when dropped at the same drop energy density per unit breaking stress was greater than that of the solid milk sample of the comparative example. That is, it was confirmed that the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 had a drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress of 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until the rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0154] It was confirmed that compared with the solid milk samples of the comparative example in which no holes were provided but depressions were formed, the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 in which holes were provided had more drops until they broke, improved resistance to breaking, and improved performance in transportation. In addition, it was confirmed that among a, b, c, and d, d was located at the uppermost side or the right side, and compared with the case in which the number of holes was 1, 2, or 4, the number of drops until they broke was more, improved resistance to breaking, and improved performance in transportation.

[0155] <Second embodiment>

[0156] (Solubility test)

[0157] In order to evaluate the solubility based on the shape, the solubility test was conducted on the solid milk samples of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples prepared as described above. First, a solid milk sample was placed in a stirring basket. The stirring basket is a bottomed cylindrical container with a lid having an inner diameter of 30 mm and a height of 36 mm, and has a side, a bottom, and a lid. The side, the bottom, and the lid are formed by a stainless steel mesh of 18 mesh (sieve opening 1.01 mm). Four blades are evenly arranged on the inner surface of the side of the stirring basket. The four blades are plates with a thickness of 1.5 mm, a width of 4 mm, and a length of 34 mm, respectively, and the length direction is arranged in a manner parallel to the central axis of the stirring basket, and is arranged to protrude from the inner surface of the side toward the center. The stirring basket is immersed in 200 ml of warm water (50±1°C) contained in a 300 ml beaker, and the stirring basket is rotated at a rotation speed of 0.5 m / s (circumferential speed) while the solid milk sample is completely submerged. The stirring basket is kept at a height of 5 mm from the inner surface of the bottom of the beaker. The dissolution process of the solid milk sample from the beginning of dissolution to complete dissolution was measured at regular intervals by conductivity. The test results confirmed that the solubility of Examples 1 to 4 was higher than that of the comparative example. Among Examples 1 to 4, Example 4 (the number of holes was 6) showed the highest solubility. Examples 1 to 4 had higher solubility than the comparative example, and Example 4 showed the highest solubility. It can be considered that this is because the larger the surface area of ​​the solid milk, the higher the solubility.

[0158] It should be noted that the present disclosure may have the following configurations. If the following configurations are provided, it is possible to prevent damage to the product when the product falls and improve the performance suitable for transportation.

[0159] (1) A solid food, which is a solid food obtained by compression molding a powder, wherein a drop test in which the solid food is dropped onto a drop surface is repeated until the solid food breaks, and the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid food is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0160] (2) The solid food according to (1) above, wherein one or more through holes are provided in the body of the solid food.

[0161] (3) A solid milk obtained by compression molding a milk powder, wherein when a drop test is repeatedly performed in which the solid milk is dropped onto a drop surface until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0162] (4) The solid milk according to (3) above, wherein one or more through holes are provided in the body of the solid milk.

[0163] (5) A solid food, which is a solid food obtained by compression molding a powder, wherein the solid food is formed by compression molding the powder in such a manner that the powder is hardened and the obtained powder compression molded product is hardened so that when a drop test in which the solid food is dropped onto a drop surface is repeated until the solid food breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid food is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0164] (6) A solid milk obtained by compression molding milk powder, wherein the solid milk is formed by compression molding milk powder in such a manner as to have the following structure, and the obtained milk powder compression molding is hardened: when a drop test in which the solid milk is dropped onto a drop surface is repeatedly performed until the solid milk breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid milk is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the above EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the above EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

[0165] Description of Reference Numerals

[0166] 10, 20, 30, 40 body

[0167] 10A, 20A, 30A, 40A side 1

[0168] 10B, 20B, 30B, 40B side 2

[0169] 10C, 20C, 30C, 40C side

[0170] 10S, 20S, 30S, 40S solid milk

[0171] 11, 21, 31, 41 holes

[0172] 11A, 21A, 31A, 41A inner wall surface

Claims

1. A solid food, which is a solid food in a solid shape obtained by compressing powder, When the drop test of dropping the solid food onto the falling surface is repeated until the solid food breaks, the drop energy density EF per unit breaking stress obtained by dividing the drop energy density of the drop test by the breaking stress of the solid food is 2×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 3 times, and the EF is 1×10 -4 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture is more than 10 times, and the EF is 5×10 -5 [(J / m 2 ) / (N / m 2 )], the number of drops until rupture exceeds 30 times.

2. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein The main body of the solid food is provided with one or more through holes.

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