Solid food

Abstract

To provide a solid food made with plant-based powder, delivering a pleasant texture and effectively enhancing the oral microbiota in the mouth.SOLUTION: A solid food comprises following components (A)-(C): (A) plant-derived powder including nitrate, (B) C4-6 monosaccharide-based sugar alcohols and (C) at least one additive selected from cellulose or derivatives thereof, starch or decomposed starch, silicon dioxide, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, monosaccharides, and disaccharides.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to solid food products. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various studies have been conducted on oral flora. For example, Patent Document 1 reports that by adding a nitrogen source such as nitrate, non-pathogenic bacteria such as Neisseria sp. can efficiently produce nitric oxide, thereby controlling the bacterial composition of the oral flora to a favorable level.

[0003] On the other hand, since powders obtained from vegetables such as barley and kale are highly useful as health ingredients, health foods containing them have been developed. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an oral composition containing a green juice ingredient such as barley and other ingredients, and attempts to maintain muscle tissue by the resulting myoblast proliferation effect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 151428 [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-54252 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Powders obtained from such vegetables tend to have a poor texture, and therefore, as described in Patent Document 2 above, they are primarily provided in the form of a beverage or other dosage form that can be swallowed quickly to avoid retention or residue in the oral cavity. As such, there is still room for improvement in technology that can improve the texture of vegetable powders in the oral cavity while fully demonstrating their effectiveness in the oral cavity.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention relates to a solid food that uses a plant-derived powder, yet provides a good texture and can effectively improve the oral bacterial flora in the oral cavity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Therefore, the present inventors conducted extensive research to solve the above problems, and as a result, they discovered a solid food that can be easily diffused and retained in the oral cavity while having a good texture, by combining a specific monosaccharide sugar alcohol and a specific additive with a plant-derived powder containing nitrate, thereby effectively improving the oral bacterial flora.

[0008] That is, the present invention provides the following components (A) to (C): (A) Plant-derived powder containing nitrates (B) Monosaccharide alcohol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms (C) One or more additives selected from cellulose or its derivatives, starch or starch hydrolysates, silicon dioxide, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, monosaccharides, and disaccharides. The present invention provides a solid food product containing the above. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the solid food of the present invention, when it is ingested into the oral cavity, it is possible to allow the solid food to remain in the oral cavity while being sufficiently dissolved and diffused therein, thereby effectively increasing the residual amount of nitrate and effectively improving the oral bacterial flora. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention will be described in detail below. In the present invention, "good texture" means a texture that is smooth and pleasant to the tongue when placed in the oral cavity, without causing any foreign body sensation or discomfort such as gritty texture. In addition, "nitrate retention" means that after being put into the mouth, the solid food gradually dissolves and diffuses in the mouth, and as a result, sufficient nitrate remains in the mouth. Furthermore, the term "oral flora" refers to a community formed by a wide variety of bacteria that inhabit the oral cavity and are broadly classified into non-pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. Such "oral flora" is also called "oral (oral or oral) flora" or "oral (oral or oral) microbiota."

[0011] "Improvement" of the oral flora means changing the bacterial composition of the oral flora by increasing the proportion of non-pathogenic bacteria or decreasing the proportion of pathogenic bacteria, thereby converting the state of the oral flora to a state that brings about a healthy oral environment. Specifically, it means that the metabolism of Neisseria or Russia bacteria is activated in the oral cavity, etc., and their growth is selectively promoted, thereby increasing the proportion of these non-pathogenic bacteria (Neisseria or Russia bacteria) in the oral flora, and it also means that the growth of pathogenic bacteria is selectively inhibited, thereby increasing the proportion of these bacteria in the oral flora.

[0012] The solid food of the present invention contains a plant-derived powder containing nitrate as component (A). The plant-derived powder is a powder obtained by using a plant as a raw material, subjecting the plant to processing such as grinding, and then appropriately drying. In the present invention, a powder containing nitrate is used as component (A). Such component (A) is usually accompanied by unpleasant sensations such as a unique bitter taste when ingested into the oral cavity, and therefore tends to be quickly expelled from the oral cavity by swallowing, spitting, etc., without remaining in the oral cavity for an unnecessarily long time. However, the solid food of the present invention has a good texture, and therefore can be retained in the oral cavity until the solid food is sufficiently dissolved and diffused while releasing nitrate, effectively increasing the amount of nitrate remaining in the oral cavity and effectively improving the oral bacterial flora.

[0013] Component (A) may be any substance containing nitrate, and specifically includes, for example, one or more powders selected from sweet potato leaves, kale, barley, celery, Japanese mustard spinach, parsley, spinach, radish, beetroot, broccoli, burdock, and aloe. Among them, from the viewpoint of effectively increasing the amount of nitrate remaining in the oral cavity, one or more powders selected from sweet potato leaves, kale, celery, Japanese mustard spinach, and radish are preferred, and sweet potato leaves powder is more preferred.

[0014] The content of nitrate in component (A) is preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 3% by mass or more, based on 100% by mass of component (A), from the viewpoint of effectively increasing the amount of nitrate remaining in the oral cavity. Also, the content of nitrate in component (A) is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less, based on 100% by mass of component (A), from the viewpoint of ensuring good solubility and diffusibility of solid foods and maintaining a good texture. The content of nitrate in component (A) is preferably 0.01 to 40 mass%, more preferably 0.1 to 35 mass%, even more preferably 0.5 to 30 mass%, still more preferably 1 to 20 mass%, even more preferably 2 to 10 mass%, and still more preferably 3 to 5 mass%, based on 100 mass% of component (A).

[0015] The amount of component (A) converted to nitric acid ((A) 硝酸) is preferably 0.05% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.6% by mass or more, based on 100% by mass of the solid food of the present invention, from the viewpoint of effectively increasing the amount of nitrates remaining in the oral cavity. The amount of nitric acid of component (A) is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 15% by mass or less, based on 100% by mass of the solid food of the present invention, from the viewpoint of ensuring good solubility and diffusibility of the solid food and maintaining a good texture. The amount of nitric acid of component (A) is preferably 0.05 to 50% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 0.6 to 15% by mass, based on 100% by mass of the solid food of the present invention. The nitric acid equivalent of component (A) ((A) 硝酸 ) means the value obtained by converting the content of component (A) in the solid food of the present invention into the content as nitric acid, based on the amount of nitrate contained in component (A).

[0016] The solid food of the present invention contains, as component (B), a monosaccharide sugar alcohol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms. Component (B) is a sugar alcohol obtained by reducing or fermenting a monosaccharide having 4 to 6 carbon atoms as a raw material, and can synergistically enhance the effect of improving the oral flora achieved by nitrates remaining in the oral cavity.

[0017] Specific examples of component (B) include one or more sugar alcohols selected from erythritol, threitol, xylitol, arabinitol, ribitol, mannitol, iditol, galactitol, and sorbitol. Among them, from the viewpoint of effectively promoting the effect of improving the oral flora, one or more selected from erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol are preferred.

[0018] From the viewpoint of promoting the effect of improving the oral flora, the content of component (B) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 2% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 10% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, even more preferably 40% by mass or less, still more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or less. The content of component (B) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 2 to 60% by mass, more preferably 2 to 50% by mass, even more preferably 2 to 40% by mass, still more preferably 5 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 25% by mass.

[0019] The mass ratio of the nitric acid equivalent of component (A) to the content of component (B) ((A) 硝酸 From the viewpoint of enhancing the effect of nitrates in improving the oral flora, the mass ratio ((A) / (B)) is preferably 0.005 or more, more preferably 0.01 or more, even more preferably 0.02 or more, still more preferably 0.05 or more, and is preferably 10 or less, more preferably 5 or less, and even more preferably 1 or less. The mass ratio ((A) / (B)) of the amount of nitric acid converted into component (A) to the content of component (B) is preferably 0.005 or more, more preferably 0.01 or more, even more preferably 0.02 or more, still more preferably 0.05 or more, and is preferably 10 or less, more preferably 5 or less, and even more preferably 1 or less. 硝酸 / (B)) is preferably 0.005 or more and 10 or less, more preferably 0.01 to 5, even more preferably 0.02 to 1, and still more preferably 0.05 to 1.

[0020] The solid food of the present invention contains, as component (C), one or more additives selected from cellulose or its derivatives, starch or starch hydrolysates, silicon dioxide, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, monosaccharides, and disaccharides, thereby ensuring excellent solubility and diffusibility of the solid food of the present invention in the oral cavity, imparting a good texture to the solid food of the present invention, enabling sufficient dissolution and diffusion of the solid food in the oral cavity, and effectively increasing the retention of released nitrates.

[0021] Examples of the cellulose of component (C) include crystalline cellulose and powdered cellulose. Specific examples of the cellulose derivative of component (C) include one or more selected from sodium carboxymethylcellulose, calcium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Among these celluloses and cellulose derivatives, crystalline cellulose and powdered cellulose are preferred from the viewpoint of effectively increasing the residual properties of nitrates.

[0022] Examples of starch as component (C) include raw starch, pregelatinized starch, etc. Examples of starch hydrolyzates include dextrin, which is a compound obtained by partially hydrolyzing starch through acid treatment or heat treatment to reduce its molecular weight.

[0023] The silicon dioxide of the component (C) may be, for example, fine silicon dioxide having an average particle size of 0.1 to 30 μm.

[0024] The fatty acid ester of component (C) may be one or more selected from sucrose fatty acid esters; glycerin fatty acid esters such as acetate monoglyceride, lactate monoglyceride, citrate monoglyceride, diacetyltartaric acid monoglyceride, succinate monoglyceride, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and polyglycerin condensed linocylic acid esters; sorbitan fatty acid esters; and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters. More specifically, the fatty acid salt may be one or more selected from calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate, calcium caprylate, potassium oleate, sodium oleate, and calcium palmitate. Of these, calcium stearate is preferred.

[0025] The monosaccharide of component (C) may be one or more selected from glucose, galactose, fructose, etc. The disaccharide may be one or more selected from sucrose, lactose, lactulose, maltose, trehalose, isomaltose, palatinose, etc.

[0026] From the viewpoint of effectively increasing the residual property of the nitrate, the component (C) is preferably one or more selected from cellulose, silicon dioxide, and fatty acid salts, and more preferably a combination of two or more.

[0027] From the viewpoints of ensuring a good texture and high residual amount of nitrate and promoting the effect of improving oral flora, the content of component (C) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. The content of component (C) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 0.5 to 50% by mass, more preferably 1 to 40% by mass, even more preferably 1.5 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20% by mass.

[0028] The mass ratio of the nitric acid equivalent of component (A) to the content of component (C) ((A) 硝酸 From the viewpoint of providing a good texture and effectively increasing the residual amount of nitrates, the mass ratio ((A) / (C)) of the amount of nitric acid of component (A) to the content of component (C) is preferably 0.005 or more, more preferably 0.03 or more, even more preferably 0.05 or more, and preferably 20 or less, more preferably 10 or less, even more preferably 5 or less, and even more preferably 0.5 or less. 硝酸 / (C)) is preferably 0.005 or more and 20 or less, more preferably 0.03 to 10, even more preferably 0.05 to 5, and still more preferably 0.05 to 0.5.

[0029] The solid food of the present invention may further contain an organic acid (D1) and a carbonate (D2). By containing both of these components (D1) and (D2), carbon dioxide gas is generated when the solid food of the present invention is placed in the mouth, effectively increasing the solubility and diffusibility of the solid food of the present invention, while further improving the texture and effectively increasing the residual amount of nitrate.

[0030] Examples of the component (D1) include one or more selected from citric acid, gluconic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, phytic acid, etc. Among them, from the viewpoint of good solubility in the oral cavity, one or more selected from citric acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid are preferred, and one or two selected from citric acid and tartaric acid are more preferred.

[0031] The content of component (D1) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 8% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less, from the viewpoints of effectively generating carbon dioxide gas together with component (D2), effectively improving the texture and the residual and diffusibility of nitrates, and effectively improving the oral bacterial flora. The content of component (D1) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 1 to 30% by mass, more preferably 5 to 25% by mass, and even more preferably 8 to 20% by mass.

[0032] Examples of the component (D2) include one or more selected from monoalkali metal carbonates such as sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate, carbonates of divalent or higher metals such as calcium carbonate, and dialkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. Of these, carbonates are preferred, and sodium hydrogen carbonate is more preferred. The content of component (D2) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, even more preferably 7% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less, from the viewpoints of effectively generating carbon dioxide gas together with component (D1), effectively improving the texture and the residual amount of nitrates, and effectively improving the oral bacterial flora. The content of component (D2) in the solid food of the present invention is preferably 1 to 30% by mass, more preferably 5 to 25% by mass, and even more preferably 7 to 20% by mass.

[0033] The solid food of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above-mentioned components, appropriate additives such as acidulants, flavorings, amino acids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fragrances, colorants, emulsifiers, preservatives, and quality stabilizers, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0034] The dosage form of the solid food of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is solid at room temperature (20° C.), and examples thereof include powder, granules, tablets, etc. Among them, from the viewpoint of facilitating oral administration while ensuring an appropriate amount of nitrate, tablets are preferred, and more specifically, tablet-like tablets are more preferred.

[0035] The solid food of the present invention can be obtained by mixing the above-mentioned ingredients and then shaping them into a solid form in a suitable manner according to a conventional method. As a mixing method, a suitable method such as stirring or shaking can be adopted, and a mixing device of a rotating container type or a fixed container type can be used. For example, when making tablets, they may be molded by wet tableting or dry tableting using a known compression molding machine. Furthermore, when preparing granular tablets, they may be formed by spray granulation, fluidized bed granulation, compression granulation, rolling granulation, stirring granulation, extrusion granulation, powder coating granulation, or the like. When the composition is made into tablet form, it may be molded using a rotary tablet press, a hydraulic tablet press, an eccentric tablet press, or the like.

[0036] Specific examples of the solid food of the present invention include confectionery foods such as candy, gummy candy, jelly, etc. In addition, the solid food may be a health food (nutritional functional food, food for specified health use, nutritional supplement, health supplement, supplement, etc.), a medicine, or a quasi-drug.

[0037] The mass per piece of the solid food of the present invention (g / piece) may vary depending on the type of component (A) used, the form of the solid food, and the amount of nitrate to be administered, but is preferably 0.3 to 10 (g / piece), more preferably 1 to 5 (g / piece). When the solid food of the present invention is a tablet, its major axis is preferably 0.3 to 3 cm, and more preferably 1 to 2.5 cm. Furthermore, when the solid food of the present invention is in the form of a tablet, from the viewpoint of effectively improving the oral bacterial flora while taking into account ease of use, the content of nitrate per tablet is preferably 5 mg or more, more preferably 10 mg or more, and even more preferably 15 mg or more.

[0038] The daily intake amount of the solid food of the present invention may vary depending on the type of component (A) used, the form of the solid food, and the amount of nitrate to be administered. From the viewpoint of effectively improving the oral bacterial flora while ensuring an appropriate amount of nitrate remaining in the oral cavity, the daily intake amount is preferably 1 to 15 g, and more preferably 3 to 9 g.

[0039] The retention time of the solid food of the present invention in the oral cavity is preferably 1 to 20 minutes, more preferably 3 to 15 minutes, and even more preferably 5 to 10 minutes.

[0040] In order to ensure a sufficient amount of nitrate remaining in the oral cavity and effectively improve the oral bacterial flora, the method for ingesting the solid food of the present invention is preferably such that after introduction into the oral cavity, the solid food of the present invention is sufficiently dissolved or dispersed using the tongue or the like until it no longer retains its original shape. The solid food of the present invention provides a good texture and does not need to be quickly expelled from the oral cavity by swallowing, spitting, etc., but can be retained in the oral cavity, allowing a sufficient amount of nitrate to remain, and is therefore expected to have a significant effect in improving the oral bacterial flora. EXAMPLES

[0041] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following examples. In the tables, the content of each component is expressed as mass % unless otherwise specified.

[0042] [Examples 1 to 15, Comparative Examples 1 to 2] According to the formulations shown in Tables 1 and 2, the components were mixed and molded using a hydraulic tablet press to obtain tablets (1.5 g / tablet). The obtained tablets were used to carry out the measurements and evaluations according to the following methods. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Each tablet was taken so that the nitrate intake was constant (21 mg / tablet).

[0043] <<Residual nitrates in the oral cavity>> The obtained tablet was taken into the mouth, and 5 minutes after ingestion, 10 mL of ion-exchanged water was gargled for 10 seconds and then spat out to collect the exhaled liquid.Then, the concentration of nitric acid contained in the exhaled liquid was measured using a simple measuring device Reflectoquant (registered trademark, manufactured by Merck Co., Ltd.), and the residual nitrate was evaluated based on the measured value according to the following criteria. A:40mg / L or more B: 30 mg / L or more and less than 40 mg / L C: 20mg / L or more and less than 30mg / L D: 10 mg / L or more but less than 20 mg / L E: Less than 10 mg / L

[0044] Texture The obtained tablet was taken into the mouth and licked around in the mouth with the tongue for 5 minutes after ingestion, after which the texture was evaluated according to the following criteria. 5: The texture was very pleasant and smooth. 4: It had a nice texture 3: The texture was good, but it felt a bit gritty. 2: It felt gritty and didn't feel good on the tongue. 1: It had a very gritty texture and was unpleasant to the touch.

[0045] 《Easy to dissolve and spread in your mouth》 The obtained tablet was taken into the mouth and licked around in the mouth with the tongue for 5 minutes after ingestion, after which the degree of dissolution and spreading in the mouth was evaluated according to the following criteria. 5: The tablet disintegrated well, leaving no residue, and was felt to be widely dispersed in the mouth. 4: The tablet disintegrated well, with almost no residual residue, and it was possible to feel it dispersing in the mouth. 3: Although some of the tablet remained undissolved, it was possible to feel that the tablet disintegrated well and dispersed in the mouth. 2: The tablet did not disintegrate well and some of it remained undissolved, so it was difficult to feel it dispersing in the mouth. 1: The tablet did not disintegrate well and remained undissolved, so it was not possible to feel the tablet dispersing in the mouth.

[0046] [Table 1]

[0047] [Table 2]

[0048] [Examples 16 to 23, Comparative Example 3] According to the formulation shown in Table 3, each tablet (1.5 g / tablet) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, and then each measurement and evaluation were carried out. The results are shown in Table 3. In addition, each tablet was taken so that the nitrate intake was constant (11 mg / 1 tablet) by taking into account the nitrate content of component (A) and the nitric acid equivalent of component (A).However, in the comparative example, the nitrate intake was 0 mg / 1 tablet.

[0049] [Table 3]

[0050] [Examples 24 to 33, Comparative Examples 4 to 7] According to the formulations shown in Tables 4 and 5, each tablet (1.5 g / tablet) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, and then each measurement and evaluation were carried out. The results are shown in Tables 4 and 5. Each tablet was taken so that the intake of nitrate was constant (21 mg / tablet), taking into account the nitrate content of component (A), the nitric acid equivalent amount of component (A), and the weight of the tablet.

[0051] [Table 4]

[0052] [Table 5]

[0053] <Evaluation of oral flora improvement effect> The tablet-shaped tablets (1.7 g / tablet) shown in Table 8 were evaluated for their oral flora-improving effect according to the following method.

[0054] 1) Calculation of the ratio of each bacteria Six subjects were instructed to take each tablet three times a day (one tablet per time) for three days, and the bacterial ratio in stimulated saliva before and after ingestion was compared. In addition, from one week before taking the tablets until the end of the test period, the subjects were instructed to use the designated commercially available toothpaste and toothbrush to exclude any influence of oral hygiene actions other than taking the tablets. The stimulated saliva was collected by having subjects chew a commercially available paraffin wax gum for 3 minutes, and the leaked saliva was spat out into a plastic container at regular intervals. After collection, the saliva was promptly stored in a freezer at -20°C.

[0055] Next, 500 μL of stimulated saliva was collected after storage, genomic DNA was extracted using a PureLink Microbiome DNA Purification Kit (Thermo Fisher), and the ratio of each bacterium was calculated using real-time PCR with a Taqman probe. The primers and Taqman probe used, and the reaction conditions for real-time PCR are shown in Tables 6 to 7.

[0056] [Table 6]

[0057] [Table 7]

[0058] 2) Calculation of the relative increase rate of each bacteria The abundance ratio (%) of each bacterium was calculated by first creating a calibration curve using PCR products with known copy numbers as standards, and then calculating the copy number of the rRNA16S gene of each bacterium using the following formula. Percentage of each bacterium present (%) = (copy number of each bacterium) / (total bacterial copy number) x 100 The relative increase rate of each bacterium was calculated using the following formula. Relative increase rate of each bacteria (%) = (proportion of each bacteria after 3 days of intake) / (proportion of each bacteria before intake) × 100

[0059] Next, the obtained values ​​of the relative increase rates of Neisseria and Russus bacteria were taken as the relative increase rates of non-pathogenic bacteria and were assigned to the following ranks as indices for evaluating the effect of improving oral flora. Moving from rank E to rank A means that the product effectively increases non-pathogenic bacteria and has an excellent effect of improving the oral flora. A: 125% or more B: 100% or more but less than 125% C: 75% or more but less than 100% D: 50% or more but less than 75% E: Less than 50%

[0060] In addition, the obtained relative increase rates of Prevotella and Veillonella were taken as the relative increase rates of periodontal disease-related bacteria and were assigned to the following ranks as indices for evaluating the effect of improving the oral flora. Moving from E rank to A rank means that the product effectively suppresses the growth of pathogenic bacteria and has an excellent effect on improving the oral flora. A: Less than 50% B: 50% or more but less than 75% C: 75% or more but less than 100% D: 100% or more but less than 125% E: 125% or more

[0061] [Table 8]

Claims

1. The following components (A) to (C): (A) Plant-derived powder containing nitrate (B) a monosaccharide sugar alcohol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms (C) one or more additives selected from cellulose or its derivatives, starch or starch hydrolysates, silicon dioxide, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, monosaccharides, and disaccharides Solid foods containing

2. 2. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of the amount of component (A) converted to nitric acid to the content of component (B) ((A) nitric acid / (B)) is 0.005 or more and 10 or less.

3. 2. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of the amount of component (A) converted to nitric acid to the content of component (C) ((A) nitric acid / (C)) is 0.005 or more and 20 or less.

4. 4. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein the content of nitrate in component (A) is 0.01% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less.

5. 4. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein the component (B) is one or more selected from the group consisting of erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol.

6. The solid food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an organic acid (D1) and a carbonate (D2).

7. 4. The solid food according to claim 1, wherein component (A) is a powder derived from one or more plants selected from the group consisting of young sweet potato leaves, kale, barley, celery, Japanese mustard spinach, parsley, spinach, radish, beetroot, broccoli, burdock, and aloe.