Compound sweetening agent and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sweetening agents, in particular to a compound sweetening agent with a Maillard function for replacing cane sugar and a preparation method of the compound sweetening agent. The compound sweetening agent comprises the following components in parts by weight: 0.01-5 parts of a natural high-power sweetening agent, 1-99.9 parts of a second sweetening agent, 0-20 parts of a traditional high-power sweetening agent and 1-99.9 parts of a filling agent, the natural high sweetening agent comprises one or two of a fructus momordicae extract and a stevia rebaudiana extract; the second sweetening agent comprises one or more of sugar alcohol, natural sugar and functional oligosaccharide; the second sweetening agent is ultrasonically atomized into liquid drops and then compounded with other raw materials. The second sweetening agent is subjected to ultrasonic atomization, other raw materials are subjected to crystallization treatment, sweetening agent crystals which are narrow in particle size distribution and regular in crystal form are obtained, and the flowability, solubility and stability of the compound sweetening agent are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of sweeteners, and in particular to a compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Sugar substitutes, also known as sweeteners, are, as the name implies, things that are used to replace sugar. Most sugar substitutes do not cause blood sugar to rise or insulin secretion. Some sugar substitutes do not even react with the human body at all and are excreted after being eaten. This can reduce the calorie intake of people, but try not to affect the flavor of the food. Sugar substitutes can be divided into two categories according to their sources, namely natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners include xylitol, stevia, mogroside, trehalose, erythritol, etc.; artificial sweeteners generally include acesulfame potassium, aspartame, etc. And looking for a sweetener that is close to the sweetness and taste of sucrose and can be used like sucrose, that is, a sugar substitute, is currently the most difficult technical difficulty for sweetener manufacturers and food manufacturers to overcome, and it is also an urgent need for consumers.

[0003] Prior art CN 118318990 A discloses a compound sweetener that replaces sucrose, including natural sweeteners and polydextrose, wherein the natural sweeteners include xylitol, erythritol, arabinose, and mogroside. On the one hand, the compound sweetener of the invention adds polydextrose as dietary fiber to increase intestinal peristalsis, improve intestinal environment, regulate lipid metabolism, and reduce sugar absorption; on the other hand, the compound sweetener is basically consistent with sucrose in taste, and the glycemic index is significantly reduced, and it can be used as a product to replace sucrose, while having the advantages of low calories, moderate sweetness, good taste, and prebiotic health care functions. However, the invention lacks the unique flavor brought by the Maillard reaction, is relatively lacking in flavor richness, and is not attractive enough for consumers who pursue a unique flavor experience.

[0004] Prior art CN 110506922 A discloses a blood sugar-suppressing monk fruit compound sweetener and its preparation method. The compound sweetener of the invention includes monk fruit extract, erythritol, mulberry leaf DNJ, fenugreek saponin, tea polyphenols, yeast extract, naringin and sucralose. The preparation method of the invention is: (1) dissolving raw materials other than erythritol in hot water, filtering, concentrating the filtrate under vacuum decompression, and keeping warm to obtain an adhesive; (2) putting erythritol into the fluidized bed of a boiling granulator, turning on the fan, and heating; (3) spraying the adhesive intermittently into the fluidized bed, and keeping the materials in the fluidized bed boiling and mixing evenly; (4) after spraying the adhesive, keeping warm and drying, and standing to cool, to obtain a compound sweetener. However, the invention does not involve a sweetener that can provide a Maillard reaction, does not have such a subsequent Maillard reaction, and thus lacks the corresponding flavor and color. Moreover, the ingredients in the compound sweeteners have poor stability when faced with high temperature and other processing processes. For example, the color of monk fruit extract will darken and the effective ingredients will degrade under high temperature, affecting the product quality and taste.

[0005] Prior art CN 103637159 B discloses a natural compound sweetener and its preparation. The preparation method comprises the following steps: dissolving erythritol, monk fruit extract and stevioside in water, concentrating, crystallizing, drying and granulating; wherein, the amount of erythritol added is 97.8% to 99.9%, and the sum of the amount of monk fruit extract and stevioside added is 0.1% to 2.2%; the percentage is the mass percentage of the raw material; the concentration temperature is 55 to 95°C, the crystallization temperature is 50 to 70°C, and the crystallization pressure is -0.06 to -0.1 MPa. However, the patent uses stevioside with a bitter aftertaste, which will have the problems of lack of flavor uniqueness and limited flavor adjustment ability. At the same time, the synergistic effect between several flavors is insufficient, and the synergistic effect in terms of sweetness enhancement and taste improvement is difficult to achieve satisfactory results. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose and a preparation method thereof.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A compound sweetener comprises, by weight, 0.01-5 parts of a natural high-intensity sweetener, 1-99.9 parts of a second sweetener, 0-20 parts of a traditional high-intensity sweetener and 1-99.9 parts of a filler; the natural high-intensity sweetener comprises one or both of monk fruit extract and stevia extract; the second sweetener comprises one or more of mannitol, natural sugar and functional oligosaccharides; the second sweetener is atomized into droplets by ultrasonication and then compounded with other raw materials.

[0008] The natural high-intensity sweetener provides sweetness, and the second sweetener is a sweetener that can produce the Maillard reaction. Traditional high-intensity sweeteners can be used as sweeteners and flavor correctors to improve the taste of the product. Fillers improve the taste, stabilize the texture, and enrich the taste level of the product. Some fillers also provide sweetness at the same time. The present invention combines the above four raw materials and processes the second sweetener separately by ultrasonic atomization to accurately control the degree of reaction, so that the second sweetener is evenly dispersed in the reaction system in the form of tiny particles, promotes the normal progress of the Maillard reaction and improves the final flavor.

[0009] In one preferred embodiment, the compound sweetener comprises, by weight: 0.5-5 parts of natural high intensity sweetener, 39.8-59.7 parts of second sweetener and 1-39.8 parts of filler.

[0010] In one preferred embodiment, the compound sweetener comprises, by weight: 0.5-5 parts of natural high-intensity sweetener, 1-39.8 parts of second sweetener, 0-5 parts of traditional high-intensity sweetener and 1-59.7 parts of filler.

[0011] In one preferred embodiment, the compound sweetener comprises, by weight: 0.5-5 parts of natural high-intensity sweetener, 10-46.3 parts of second sweetener, 0.1-5 parts of traditional high-intensity sweetener and 10-52.8 parts of filler.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the monk fruit extract includes one or both of monk fruit powder and mogroside.

[0013] Mogroside is a natural sweetener extracted from monk fruit, with the following characteristics and applications: high sweetness, 300 times that of sucrose, but extremely low in calories, almost no calories, high safety, almost no absorption in the human body, no heat generation, and directly excreted through the small intestine. It is also highly stable, easily soluble in water and dilute ethanol, and has stable physical and chemical properties. It can be used as a sweetener to partially or completely replace sucrose in various foods, and is especially suitable as a sugar substitute for obese people and diabetic patients.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the stevia extract includes one or more of rebaudioside A (RA), rebaudioside D (RD), rebaudioside M (RM), rebaudioside C (RC), and rebaudioside B (RB).

[0015] Stevia, as a purely natural, low-calorie, high-sweetness, and highly safe substance, can effectively replace traditional sweeteners as a healthy sweetener.

[0016] The sugar alcohol is mannitol. The Maillard reaction is usually caused by the reaction of reducing sugars with amine substances, and usually occurs in an environment where reducing sugars are present. Mannitol can indeed undergo the Maillard reaction under specific conditions. Although mannitol itself is a non-reducing sugar and theoretically will not trigger the Maillard reaction, in actual situations, reducing sugar impurities may remain in the process of producing mannitol, and these impurities can trigger the Maillard reaction. In addition, if the prescription contains other reducing sugars, these sugars exist at the same time as the impurities of mannitol, and may also participate in the Maillard reaction together. Therefore, although mannitol itself will not directly undergo the Maillard reaction, the impurity sugars that may exist in its environment can cause the occurrence of the Maillard reaction.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the natural sugar includes one or more of crystalline fructose, lactose, maltose, psicose, L-arabinose, and tagatose.

[0018] In baked goods, crystalline fructose is prone to Maillard reaction, giving the product an attractive color. In addition, fructose can undergo Maillard reaction with amino acids or proteins under heating or drying conditions.

[0019] Allulose has the characteristics of low viscosity, easy browning, acid resistance and heat resistance. It is used in baked goods to reduce the sugar content and calories of the product while improving the color of the product.

[0020] L-arabinose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide that belongs to the pentose family. It is about 60% as sweet as sucrose, but produces almost no calories. An important property of L-arabinose is that it can trigger the Maillard reaction during food processing. The Maillard reaction is a common food cooking process that involves a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars to produce rich aroma and color. Due to its rapid Maillard reaction characteristics, L-arabinose can help color and increase the aroma of foods during baking and cooking, making foods more attractive. Although L-arabinose is called a "sugar", it is not directly absorbed by the human body and therefore does not directly affect blood sugar levels. Instead, it helps stabilize blood sugar and control weight by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme sucrase and reducing the absorption of sugars. In addition, L-arabinose can provide nutrition for the beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which helps improve intestinal health.

[0021] The molecular formula of L-tagatose is C 6 H 12 O 6 , with a relative molecular mass of 180.16, is a white, odorless crystalline powder. Its sweetness is 92% of sucrose and its calories are only one-third of sucrose. It can undergo the Maillard reaction. Adding tagatose to bread products can shorten the coloring time and help improve the color.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the functional oligosaccharide is one or more of fructooligosaccharide, isomaltooligosaccharide and galacto-oligosaccharide.

[0023] Functional oligosaccharides (such as oligofructose, oligomalto-oligosaccharide or oligogalactose) can undergo the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic browning reaction between amino compounds and reducing sugars without the participation of enzymes. Oligosaccharides such as oligofructose and oligomalto-oligosaccharide react with amino acids or proteins under heating conditions, which can undergo a process similar to the Maillard reaction, forming brown complexes and possibly producing new flavors and aromas. In addition, the molecular structure of oligosaccharides affects their reactivity with amino acids or proteins. For example, oligofructose, oligomalto-oligosaccharide and oligogalactose can react with other ingredients under high temperature conditions due to their structural characteristics, thereby promoting the Maillard reaction. These reactions can be used to improve the color and flavor of food in food processing.

[0024] Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS): The sweetness of FOS is about 0.3-0.6 times that of sucrose, and it has health functions such as regulating intestinal flora and promoting calcium absorption. It is often used as a low-calorie food filler to reduce the amount of fat added and add sweetness to food.

[0025] Galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS): This is a water-soluble dietary fiber with a relatively pure sweet taste and low caloric value. It can improve the digestion and absorption function of the human intestine.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the traditional high intensity sweetener is one or more of neomethyl hesperidin dihydrochalcone NHDC, sucralose, aspartame, and cyclamate.

[0027] NHDC is a flavonoid derivative derived from hydrogenated neohesperidin extracted from natural citrus plants. It is a bitterness inhibitor and flavor regulator that can produce a very strong sweet taste. The main characteristics of NHDC are high sweetness, low calories, slow sweetness, long follow-up time, and can reduce the bitterness of certain active ingredients while providing a fresh and rich sweet taste.

[0028] Sucralose, also known as sucralose, is a high-intensity sweetener substance that appears as a white powder. It is odorless and non-hygroscopic, has high thermal stability, and is highly soluble in water. Its sweetness is 600-800 times that of sucrose, and its sweetness is basically close to that of sucrose. It will not cause problems such as tooth decay in consumers. Due to the advantages of high temperature resistance and low calorific value, sucralose is widely used in baked goods. The sweetness of sucralose products does not change after high-temperature heating, and there is no loss of measurability.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the filler is one or more of dextrin, dietary fiber, natural sugars and sugar alcohols.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the dextrin is maltodextrin.

[0031] Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide made from starch through enzymatic hydrolysis and saccharification. It has good solubility and stability, and can form a gelatinous substance in food to increase viscosity and improve texture. It is tasteless and odorless, and is often used as a filler, thickener and stabilizer in food. Due to its good solubility, maltodextrin is often used in beverages as a thickener and sweetener to enhance taste and flavor.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the dietary fiber is one or both of polydextrose and inulin.

[0033] Polydextrose (PG): Polydextrose is a water-soluble dietary fiber that can shorten the emptying time of food in the stomach and promote the secretion of digestive juices. It has the effects of low calories, promoting the absorption of nutrients, regulating the balance of intestinal flora, and reducing blood sugar response.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the natural sugar is one or both of trehalose and xylose.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the sugar alcohol is one or more of maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and erythritol.

[0036] Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide composed of two glucose molecules connected by hemiacetal hydroxyl groups. It has many unique properties, such as moisture retention (it can lock in moisture to prevent food from drying, hardening and spoiling). At the same time, when the relative humidity reaches 95%, trehalose will not absorb moisture excessively, will not affect the flavor and storage period of the food itself, has good stability, low sweetness and low calories, prevents starch aging and protein denaturation, etc. It can maintain the original color and flavor of food and avoid color changes caused by Maillard reaction.

[0037] Erythritol: It has extremely low hygroscopicity and will not absorb moisture even in an environment with a relative humidity of 90%. It is very stable to heat and acid and will not undergo the Maillard reaction with amino acids.

[0038] Sorbitol: It is highly hygroscopic, but under normal circumstances its chemical properties are stable, it does not react with acids and alkalis, and it is not prone to Maillard browning.

[0039] Maltitol: It is non-crystalline, has a flavor-preserving effect, and is almost not decomposed in the body. Therefore, it can be used as a food ingredient for diabetics and obese patients, but it will not produce the Maillard reaction at high temperatures.

[0040] Lactitol: It has good stability to heat and storage, and good water solubility. However, at a higher pH, lactitol is very stable even at a high temperature of 105°C. During the baking process, the lactitol content does not change and the Maillard reaction does not occur.

[0041] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also claims a method for preparing the compound sweetener, comprising the following steps: S1, dissolving the second sweetener to obtain a solution; and ultrasonically atomizing the solution to obtain small droplets; S2, mixing the remaining raw materials, adding a solvent and heating until completely dissolved, cooling and crystallizing, purifying, and obtaining crystals; S3, spraying the droplets in S1 uniformly on the surface of the crystals and mixing them thoroughly to obtain the compound sweetener.

[0042] The purpose of ultrasonically atomizing the second sweetener is to increase the contact area between the raw material and other reaction raw materials, and to promote the uniformity and efficiency of the product when the Maillard reaction is required, which is one of the innovative points of the present invention. In the existing sweetener processing technology, most traditional methods for preparing compound sweeteners often focus on simple mixing of raw materials or adopt traditional processing methods. For sweeteners that can produce Maillard reactions, there is no special optimization treatment for their unique properties. The present invention chooses ultrasonic atomization to treat the sweetener alone, which has unique advantages and innovations. Ultrasonic atomization alone can accurately control the degree of reaction, so that the second sweetener is evenly dispersed in the reaction system in the form of tiny particles. Compared with the case without ultrasonic atomization treatment, its contact area with other reactants is significantly increased, and the contact is more uniform. At the same time, the second sweetener that can provide the Maillard reaction contains some active ingredients that are sensitive to heat or easily destroyed during conventional processing. These ingredients have a significant impact on the normal progress of the Maillard reaction and the formation of the final flavor. Ultrasonic atomization is relatively gentle and does not require extreme conditions such as high temperature and high pressure. This is very beneficial for protecting the active ingredients in the second sweetener that can provide the Maillard reaction, ensuring the effective role of the second sweetener in the Maillard reaction, and thus improving the overall flavor quality and stability of the compound sweetener.

[0043] The second inventive point of the present invention is to completely dissolve the other raw materials to form a saturated solution, then slowly cool down to 10°C-30°C to induce the crystallization process while maintaining stirring, so that the crystallization process proceeds stably. Through the crystallization treatment, sweetener crystals with narrow particle size distribution and regular crystal form can be obtained, which helps to improve the fluidity, solubility and stability of the compound sweetener, and is the second key innovative step of the preparation method.

[0044] In one preferred embodiment, in S1, the second sweetener is dissolved in water, and the mass of the water is 30%-100% of the second sweetener.

[0045] In one of the preferred embodiments, in S1, the ultrasonic atomization process is: the constant temperature humidification oxygen supply function temperature is 25-37°C, the water temperature of the atomization tank is ≤60°C, the automatic thermostat disconnection temperature is 65±3°C, and the connection temperature is 55±5°C; the atomization frequency is 2.5-2.9MHz; the atomization rate is 0.4-2.6mL / min; the atomization time is 1-60min; and the power is 100-500W.

[0046] In one preferred embodiment, in S1, the particle size after ultrasonic atomization is 1-5 μm, and the median particle size D50 is 3-5 μm.

[0047] If the ultrasonic atomization treatment time is too long, the sweetener will degrade and affect the properties of the solution; if the time is too short, the treatment is insufficient and the ultrasonic effect is not obvious, and the advantages of ultrasonic atomization cannot be fully utilized, such as the inability to effectively improve the solubility and dispersibility of the sweetener, which may lead to problems in subsequent applications.

[0048] If the power is too high, the sweetener structure will be damaged and the equipment loss will increase; if the power is too low, the atomization effect will be poor and the reaction rate will be slow.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, in S2, the solvent is one or more of water, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone.

[0050] In one preferred embodiment, in S2, the amount of the solvent added is 0.6-225 parts.

[0051] In one preferred embodiment, in S2, the heating temperature is 60°C-80°C.

[0052] In one preferred embodiment, in S2, the temperature of the cooling crystallization is 10°C-30°C.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, in said S2, the purification steps are: centrifugation, washing crystals, and drying to constant weight.

[0054] In one preferred embodiment, the centrifugal temperature is 3° C.-15° C. to ensure the stability of the crystals and the separation effect, and to prevent the crystals from dissolving again or agglomerating due to excessively high temperature during the centrifugation process.

[0055] In one preferred embodiment, the drying temperature is 40° C.-60° C., which can effectively remove moisture without causing adverse effects on the crystal structure and properties.

[0056] In one preferred embodiment, in S3, the injection speed is 1-10 mL / min and the injection distance is 10-30 cm The spraying speed and the spraying distance are controlled within a range that enables the atomized droplets to be uniformly sprayed into the reaction space.

[0057] The present invention has unique necessity and advantage in atomizing sweeteners that can provide Maillard reaction. For some sweeteners that do not participate in Maillard reaction, their main function is to provide sweetness. Atomization cannot bring substantial functional improvement to them, but may increase production cost and process complexity. Moreover, the atomization characteristics of different sweeteners vary greatly. For example, some high-boiling point and high-molecular-weight sweeteners may be difficult to form a uniform atomization state under normal conditions, or may easily agglomerate and clog nozzles during the atomization process. Therefore, in the present invention, it is selected to perform a separate atomization treatment on them to achieve specific technical effects.

[0058] The present invention simulates the sweetness and other taste of sucrose and completely replaces sucrose, provides a compound sweetener with Maillard function that replaces sucrose and a preparation method thereof, and is used to solve the problems that the existing compound sweeteners have high or low sweetness, are inconvenient to use when replacing sucrose, have a bad taste, cannot produce Maillard reaction to provide flavor and color, and affect product texture. The present invention can be used to replace sucrose in daily life and provide Maillard reaction, especially in daily cooking or making baked products. While the sweetness remains unchanged, the food is easier to color and more delicious, and the body's absorption of sucrose is reduced, which is beneficial to health, has good economy and effectiveness, and obtains the best taste experience.

[0059] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Most existing compound sweetener mixing technologies usually simply mix the raw materials, resulting in poor product uniformity and different sweetness. At present, co-crystallization technology has begun to be used in the processing of compound sweeteners, but due to the characteristics of crystallization technology, the same molecules or ions are more likely to be combined on the crystal surface during the crystallization process, resulting in uneven dispersion of different sweetener components. Erythritol still needs to be added to most formulas to adjust the taste. The present invention uses ultrasonic atomization to provide sweeteners for Maillard reaction and other raw materials for crystallization treatment, and then mixes them in an innovative way. Compared with the traditional direct mixing method, the sweetener droplets after ultrasonic atomization can be more evenly distributed in the compound system, so that the initial stage of the Maillard reaction has more sufficient reaction conditions; and the crystallization treatment of some sweetener raw materials can accurately control their crystal structure and particle size distribution, and the crystallization process can also improve the purity and stability of the sweetener. During the crystallization process, impurities can be effectively excluded from the crystal lattice, thereby improving the purity of the product. Furthermore, the stable crystal structure enables it to better maintain the stability of its physical and chemical properties under different environmental conditions (such as temperature and humidity changes), thus extending the shelf life of the product. At the same time, the synergistic effect of the crystallized sweetener with other ingredients in the compound system is significantly enhanced.

[0060] 2. The product of the present invention has a sweetness multiple of 1-3 times sweetness (1 times sweetness can directly replace sucrose, and 2 times sweetness is more suitable for people who like sweetness), providing more choices and basically meeting everyone's daily sugar substitute needs. At the same time, in terms of use effect, the sweeteners currently on the market are more considered in the sugar substitute effect in the liquid system. Considering their water solubility and flavor, they can be used less in baking and cannot provide Maillard reaction. The present invention solves this problem very well.

[0061] 3. The present invention takes into account the differences in the physical and chemical properties of different sweeteners, as well as the differences in the activity and reaction paths in the reaction. When all the sweeteners are mixed and processed together, the various sweeteners may interact with each other. For example, some common sweeteners such as aspartame and sodium cyclamate are different from sweeteners that can undergo Maillard reaction in structure and stability. During crystallization, drying or other traditional mixing processes, they may decompose and denature due to changes in conditions such as temperature and humidity, affecting the overall quality and flavor of the compound sweetener. For sweeteners that can provide Maillard reaction by processing them separately, the parameters of ultrasonic atomization can be accurately set according to their own characteristics, thermal stability, etc., to ensure that they provide Maillard reaction in the best state without being interfered by other sweeteners. At the same time, processing sweeteners that can provide Maillard reaction separately can effectively avoid such interference, and can better control the proportion and reaction degree of each component, so that the final compound sweetener can achieve better results in terms of sweetness, flavor and stability. Therefore, it is chosen to process the second raw material separately instead of processing the mixed sweeteners together.

[0062] 4. In the prior art, the second sweetener is often treated by crystallization, and the drying process usually involves high temperature and long-term treatment. Due to the influence of factors such as the concentration distribution of the solution and the temperature gradient, this may cause the sweetener that can provide the Maillard reaction to react in advance or react by side effects. At the same time, the higher temperature during the crystallization drying process may cause the denaturation or inactivation of these active ingredients, thereby reducing the activity and effect of the sweetener in the Maillard reaction and affecting the flavor quality of the final compound sweetener. Spray drying requires a large amount of air to be heated to a high temperature to achieve rapid evaporation of the solvent, which makes the energy consumption in the drying process relatively large. In production, high energy consumption not only increases production costs, but also is not conducive to the sustainable use of energy. In addition, in the spray drying process, due to the rapid evaporation of the droplet surface and the precipitation of solutes, it is easy to cause agglomeration between particles. The agglomerated particles will affect their dispersibility and reaction activity in the subsequent Maillard reaction, which is not conducive to the uniform reaction. The particles produced by ultrasonic atomization have good dispersibility and can maintain a good dispersion state in the subsequent treatment and reaction process, avoiding the occurrence of agglomeration problems. Therefore, the ultrasonic atomization process in the present invention can provide a sweetener that can undergo Maillard reaction, which has an irreplaceable advantage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments. A person skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various other specific embodiments according to the contents disclosed in the present invention, or any simple changes or modifications made by adopting the design structure and ideas of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict. All raw materials of the present invention are food-grade products produced by food production enterprises.

[0064] Embodiment 1: A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following raw materials by weight: 0.5 parts of monk fruit extract, 59.7 parts of L-arabinose, and 39.8 parts of erythritol.

[0065] Prepared by the following steps: Raw material preparation: Select the above sweetener raw materials and weigh them accurately according to the proportion; Ultrasonic atomization treatment: To treat L-arabinose, dissolve the raw material in 25 g of water until it is completely dissolved, and then place the solution in an ultrasonic atomizer (the constant temperature and humidification oxygen supply function temperature is 25-37°C, the water temperature of the atomization tank is ≤60°C, the automatic thermostat disconnection temperature is 65±3°C, the connection temperature is 55±5°C; the atomization frequency is 2.7MHz; the atomization rate is 0.6mL / min; the atomization time is 30 minutes, and the power is 300W) to atomize it into tiny droplets (1μm).

[0066] Crystallization treatment: Accurately weigh the monk fruit extract and erythritol, place them in a crystallization kettle, add 80g of water, heat to 65°C, and then slowly cool to 10°C to induce the crystallization process while stirring to ensure that the crystallization process proceeds stably. After the crystallization is completed, the crystals are obtained by centrifugation, washed with cold ethanol (temperature about 2°C), and then dried in a 60°C vacuum drying oven to constant weight for use.

[0067] Powder mixing: The solution droplets of step 2 are uniformly sprayed (the spraying speed is controlled at 5 mL / min and the distance is 15 cm) into the reaction container containing the crystallized sweetener mixture in step 3, and atomized onto the powder surface, and fully mixed under continuous stirring to obtain the product.

[0068] Screening: The product is screened through a 80-mesh screen to obtain the compound sweetener.

[0069] Aseptic packaging: Finally, mix the sweetener and package aseptically.

[0070] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without precipitation. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0071] After the sweetness test, the prepared compound sweetener is 1 times sweeter than sucrose, tastes sweet, has no peculiar smell, has the state that a product should have, and the sweetness is close to that of sucrose, without aftertaste and astringency. After being placed in an environment of 25°C and 50% relative humidity for 24 months, the sweetness does not decrease, the quality is stable, and the shelf life is 2-2.5 years. It can also provide Maillard reaction, giving the food good flavor and color, with a rich and mellow caramel flavor and sweetness. The product color changes from light yellow to golden yellow or even brown, which stimulates consumers' appetite and increases the visual appeal of the product. In food, it can be used as a 1:1 substitute for sucrose to achieve a sweetness equivalent to sucrose.

[0072] Embodiment 2: A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following preparation raw materials by weight: 0.5 parts of stevia extract, 39.8 parts of allulose, 59.7 parts of trehalose Prepared by the following steps: Raw material preparation: Select the above sweetener raw materials and weigh them accurately according to the proportion.

[0073] Ultrasonic atomization treatment: To treat allulose, dissolve the raw material in 30 g of water until it is completely dissolved, and then place the solution in an ultrasonic atomizer (the constant temperature and humidification oxygen supply function temperature is 25-37°C, the water temperature of the atomization tank is ≤60°C, the automatic thermostat disconnection temperature is 65±3°C, the connection temperature is 55±5°C; the atomization frequency is 2.7MHz; the atomization rate is 1.5mL / min; the atomization time is set to 20 minutes, and the power is 300W) to atomize it into tiny droplets (2μm).

[0074] Crystallization treatment: accurately weigh stevia extract and trehalose, place them in a crystallization kettle, add 100g of water, heat to 70°C, and then slowly cool to 15°C to induce the crystallization process while stirring to ensure that the crystallization process proceeds stably. After the crystallization is completed, obtain the crystals by centrifugation, wash with cold ethanol (temperature about 3°C), and then dry in a 70°C vacuum drying oven to constant weight for use.

[0075] Powder mixing: The solution droplets of step 2 are uniformly sprayed (the spraying speed is controlled at 6 mL / min and the distance is 13 cm) into the reaction container containing the crystallized sweetener mixture in step 3, and atomized onto the powder surface, and fully mixed under continuous stirring to obtain the product.

[0076] Screening: The product is screened through a 100-mesh screen to obtain the compound sweetener.

[0077] Aseptic packaging: Finally, mix the sweetener and package aseptically.

[0078] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without precipitation. The solution is clear and transparent, and the solubility is good.

[0079] After the sweetness test, the prepared compound sweetener is twice as sweet as sucrose, tastes sweet, has no peculiar smell, has the state that a product should have, and the sweetness is close to that of sucrose, without aftertaste and astringency. When stored in a cool and dry place, it will not decompose and the sweetness will not decrease. It has good stability and a shelf life of 2-2.5 years. It can provide Maillard reaction, giving food a rich and mellow caramel flavor and sweetness, and its color is golden. In food, it can be used as a 1:1 substitute for sucrose. The sweetness is nearly twice that of sucrose, which is more suitable for people who like sweet food.

[0080] Embodiment 3: A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following preparation raw materials by weight: 0.3 parts of monk fruit extract, 0.2 parts of stevia extract, 46.3 parts of L-arabinose, 0.1 parts of sucralose, and 52.8 parts of maltodextrin.

[0081] Prepared by the following steps: Raw material preparation: Select the above sweetener raw materials and weigh them accurately according to the proportion.

[0082] Ultrasonic atomization treatment: To treat L-arabinose, dissolve the raw material in 40 g of water until it is completely dissolved, and then place the solution in an ultrasonic atomizer (the constant temperature humidification oxygen supply function temperature is 25-37°C, the water temperature of the atomization tank is ≤60°C, the automatic thermostat disconnection temperature is 65±3°C, the connection temperature is 55±5°C; the atomization frequency is 2.7MHz; the atomization rate is 1.5mL / min; the atomization time is 40 minutes, and the power is 400W) to atomize it into tiny droplets (3μm).

[0083] Crystallization treatment: accurately weigh the monk fruit extract, stevia extract, sucralose and maltodextrin, place them in a crystallization kettle, add 100g of water, heat to 80°C, and then slowly cool to 20°C to induce the crystallization process while stirring to ensure that the crystallization process proceeds stably. After the crystallization is completed, the crystals are obtained by centrifugation, washed with cold ethanol (temperature about 5°C), and then dried in a vacuum drying oven at 80°C to constant weight for use.

[0084] Powder mixing: The solution droplets of step 2 are uniformly sprayed (the spraying speed is controlled at 7 mL / min, and the distance is 20 cm) into the reaction container containing the crystallized sweetener mixture of step 3, in the form of atomization to the powder surface, and are fully mixed under continuous stirring to obtain the product.

[0085] Sieving: The product is passed through a 120-mesh sieve to obtain the compound sweetener.

[0086] Aseptic packaging: Finally, mix the sweetener and package aseptically.

[0087] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without insoluble precipitate. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0088] After the sweetness test, the prepared compound sweetener is twice as sweet as sucrose, tastes sweet, has no peculiar smell, has the state that a product should have, and the sweetness is close to that of sucrose, without aftertaste and astringency. When stored in a cool and dry place, it will not decompose and the sweetness will not decrease. It has good stability and a shelf life of 2-2.5 years. It can provide Maillard reaction, giving food a rich and mellow caramel flavor and sweetness. It is golden in color and can be directly added in food as a 1:1 substitute for sucrose. It is suitable for people who like sweet food.

[0089] Comparative Example 1: A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following preparation raw materials by weight: 0.5 parts of monk fruit extract, 59.7 parts of L-arabinose, and 39.8 parts of erythritol.

[0090] The preparation method of the compound sweetener in this example is changed from that in Example 1 to that in Example 1: directly adding water to the weighed raw materials to dissolve and mix at 40° C., then concentrating by rotary evaporation at 40° C., removing excess water, and transferring to a vacuum drying oven to obtain the finished product.

[0091] The appearance shows that the fluidity is poor and there are lumps. The solubility is tested and it is easily soluble in water and can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes, which means the solubility is good.

[0092] After calculating the sweetness of each component, the composite sweetener prepared in this example has a sweetness that is 1 times sweeter than sucrose, tastes sweet, has no peculiar smell, and has a sweetness close to sucrose, but has rough particles, an uneven surface, different particle sizes, and uneven sweetness. After 1.5 years of storage in a cool and dry place, it begins to decompose, the sweetness decreases, the stability is slightly poor, and the shelf life is about 1.5 years.

[0093] Comparative Example 2: On the basis of Example 2, the ultrasonic atomization treatment of allulose remained unchanged, and the treatment of other raw materials was changed to directly mixing by dry mixing after crushing, and then the ultrasonically treated droplets were uniformly sprayed into the dry-mixed reaction container, atomized onto the surface of the powder, and fully mixed under continuous stirring to obtain the finished product. The rest was the same as Example 2.

[0094] The appearance shows that the fluidity is good. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water, but the dissolution time is relatively long, requiring more than 15 minutes to completely dissolve.

[0095] After conversion of the sweetness of each component, the composite sweetener prepared in this comparative example is twice as sweet as sucrose, tastes sweet, and has no peculiar smell, but has coarse particles, and the taste characteristics of a single sweetener are more obvious, the sweetness is uneven, the stability is slightly poor, the shelf life is about 1.5 years, and Maillard reaction can occur.

[0096] Comparative Example 3: A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following preparation raw materials by weight: 0.2 parts of monk fruit extract, 0.2 parts of stevia extract, 0.1 parts of sucralose, 99.5 parts of erythritol In the preparation method of the composite sweetener having Maillard function to replace sucrose in this comparative example, compared with Example 3, no sweetener capable of undergoing Maillard reaction is added, and the rest remains unchanged.

[0097] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without insoluble precipitate. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0098] After conversion of the sweetness of each component, the sweetness of the compound sweetener prepared in this comparative example is twice that of sucrose, and it tastes sweet without any peculiar smell, and its sweetness is close to that of sucrose. It has a smooth surface, uniform crystals, no caking, and good solubility, which is similar to most sweetener products on the market. It does not decompose when stored in a cool and dry place, and has a shelf life of 2-2.5 years. However, the Maillard reaction cannot occur, and the product cannot provide aroma and sweetness. The color is white or very light yellow, and it is not suitable for baked products, and its usage scenarios are limited.

[0099] Comparative Example 4: On the basis of Example 1, the process is changed to not use ultrasonic atomization to treat L-arabinose alone, but to mix all the raw materials for crystallization. After the crystallization is completed, the crystals are obtained by centrifugal separation, washed with cold ethanol (temperature about 2°C), and then dried in a vacuum drying oven to constant weight for standby use. The rest is the same as Example 1.

[0100] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without insoluble precipitate. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0101] After conversion of the sweetness of each component, the sweetness of the composite sweetener prepared in this comparative example is 1 times sweeter than that of sucrose, the product tastes sweet, has a caramel flavor, has light yellow particles visible with normal vision, and has a shelf life of 2-2.5 years. However, the rate of subsequent Maillard reaction is reduced during use. In the same time range, the color change of the product prepared by the process of the composite sweetener of the comparative example is delayed, and the aroma is slowly generated. To achieve the same golden color and caramel flavor, the sweetener prepared by the process needs a longer time.

[0102] Comparative Example 5 On the basis of Example 1, the process is changed to: after all raw materials are mixed and dissolved in water, ultrasonic atomization is performed (agglomeration occurs during the atomization process, and the nozzle is blocked), and then the temperature is lowered, and crystals are obtained by centrifugal separation, washed with cold ethanol (temperature is about 2°C), and then dried in a vacuum drying oven to constant weight for standby use. The rest is the same as Example 1.

[0103] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without insoluble precipitate. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0104] After conversion of the sweetness of each component, the sweetness of the compound sweetener prepared in this comparative example is 1 times sweeter than sucrose. The product tastes sweet, the particle size is uneven, the product surface is darker, and there is no peculiar smell. It can provide Maillard reaction, but the product stability is poor. After being placed for one year, the surface of the product becomes dull, and the production cost and process complexity are increased.

[0105] Comparative Example 6 In the preparation method of the compound sweetener having Maillard function to replace sucrose in this comparative example, compared with Example 3, the parameters (time) of the atomization process are adjusted, wherein the atomization time is 80 minutes, and the other raw materials and processes are the same as those in Example 3.

[0106] The appearance shows good fluidity and no agglomeration. The solubility test shows that it can be completely dissolved in water within 2 minutes without insoluble precipitate. The solution is clear and transparent with good solubility.

[0107] According to the sweetness test, the prepared compound sweetener is twice as sweet as sucrose, tastes sweet, has the state that the product should have, has a light yellow appearance, has the odor of excessive decomposition of sweeteners, can provide Maillard reaction, and has a shelf life of 2-2.5 years. However, in the subsequent use of sugar substitutes, the preparation of the same product needs to achieve the same golden color and caramel flavor. The sweetener prepared by this process takes longer and the reaction rate is reduced.

[0108] Comparative Example 7 The example of patent CN 110506922A referenced in this comparative example has different raw materials compared with Example 1, and has different processes compared with the comparative example.

[0109] A compound sweetener having Maillard function and replacing sucrose, comprising the following preparation raw materials by weight: 5 parts of monk fruit extract (dry powder), 0.2 parts of mulberry leaf DNJ, 0.2 parts of fenugreek saponin, 0.1 parts of tea polyphenols, 0.1 parts of yeast extract, 0.08 parts of naringin, 0.05 parts of sucralose, 90 parts of erythritol Prepared by the following steps: Preparation of adhesive: Mix monk fruit extract (dry powder), mulberry leaf DNJ, fenugreek saponin, tea polyphenols, yeast extract, naringin and sucralose to obtain a mixed material, dissolve it in hot water, filter it with a ceramic membrane, and concentrate it under reduced pressure to obtain a concentrated solution; keep the concentrated solution at a temperature of 100° C. for 1 hour to obtain an adhesive; Preheating: 90 parts of erythritol are put into the fluidized bed of a boiling granulator and heated to 100°C; Spraying the adhesive: spraying the adhesive into the fluidized bed intermittently three times to keep the materials in the fluidized bed boiling and mixing evenly; Drying and cooling: After the adhesive spraying is completed, keep warm and dry, stop the machine and let it stand to cool, and then you can get the monk fruit compound sweetener.

[0110] The compound sweetener prepared in this comparative example has a slightly mixed taste, a non-pure sweetness, a slow dissolution rate, a dissolution time of more than 1h, a slightly turbid solution after dissolution, a slight precipitation at the bottom, no subsequent Maillard reaction, no caramel flavor and golden color, different particle sizes, and a light yellow color. The raw materials determine that the Maillard reaction is not provided, and the caramel flavor and golden color cannot be given. The process determines that the taste is slightly mixed, the sweetness is not pure, the dissolution rate is slow, the solution is slightly turbid after dissolution, a slight precipitation at the bottom, different particle sizes, and a light yellow color. The shelf life is about 1 year.

[0111] It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any obvious changes or modifications derived from the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compound sweetener, characterized in that: The invention comprises, by weight, 0.01 to 5 parts of natural high-intensity sweetener, 1 to 99.9 parts of a second sweetener, 0 to 20 parts of a traditional high-intensity sweetener and 1 to 99.9 parts of a filler; the natural high-intensity sweetener comprises one or both of monk fruit extract and stevia extract; the second sweetener comprises one or more of mannitol, natural sugar and functional oligosaccharides; the second sweetener is atomized into droplets by ultrasonication and then compounded with other raw materials.

2. The compound sweetener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The monk fruit extract includes one or two of monk fruit powder and mogroside; the stevia extract includes one or more of rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside M, rebaudioside C, and rebaudioside B.

3. The compound sweetener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The natural sugars include one or more of crystalline fructose, lactose, maltose, psicose, L-arabinose, and tagatose; the functional oligosaccharides include one or more of fructooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, and galacto-oligosaccharides.

4. The compound sweetener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traditional high-intensity sweetener is one or more of neomethyl hesperidin dihydrochalcone NHDC, sucralose, aspartame, and cyclamate; the filler is one or more of dextrin, dietary fiber, natural sugars, and sugar alcohols; the dextrin is maltodextrin; the dietary fiber is one or two of polydextrose and inulin; the natural sugar is one or two of trehalose and xylose; the sugar alcohol is one or more of maltitol, erythritol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and erythritol.

5. The method for preparing the compound sweetener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, dissolving the second sweetener to obtain a solution; and ultrasonically atomizing the solution to obtain small droplets; S2, mixing the remaining raw materials, adding a solvent and heating until completely dissolved, cooling and crystallizing, purifying, and obtaining crystals; S3, spraying the droplets in S1 uniformly on the surface of the crystals and mixing them thoroughly to obtain the compound sweetener.

6. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In S1, the second sweetener is dissolved in water, and the mass of the water is 30%-100% of the second sweetener.

7. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In S1, the ultrasonic atomization process is as follows: the constant temperature humidification oxygen supply function temperature is 25-37°C, the water temperature of the atomization tank is ≤60°C, the thermostat disconnection temperature is 65±3°C, and the connection temperature is 55±5°C; the atomization frequency is 2.5-2.9MHz; the atomization rate is 0.4-2.6mL / min; the atomization time is 1-60min; and the power is 100-500W.

8. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In S2, the solvent is one or more of water, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone; and the added amount of the solvent is 0.6-225 parts.

9. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the S2, the heating temperature is 60°C-80°C; the cooling crystallization temperature is 10°C-30°C.

10. The preparation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: In said S2, the purification steps are: centrifugation, washing crystals, and drying to constant weight; the centrifugation temperature is 3°C-15°C; and the drying temperature is 40°C-60°C.