Wheat bran composition and mix

Abstract

To provide a wheat bran composition that can be processed into a secondary processed food having high secondary processing suitability, and excellent external appearance, flavor and texture.SOLUTION: A wheat bran composition of the present invention has white wheat as a raw material, and the content of dietary fiber is 43 mass% or more and sugar content is 18 mass% or less. Further, the present invention also provides a method for producing a wheat bran composition in which grains of white wheat are pulverized to obtain a wheat bran composition in which the content of dietary fiber is 43 mass% or more and the sugar content is 18 mass% or less. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a mix containing a wheat bran composition, and a method for producing a processed food which uses a wheat bran composition as a raw material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheat bran composition and a method for producing same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the rise in health consciousness, wheat bran, which is rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as functional ingredients and has a good flavor, is used to produce secondary processed products such as bread and noodles. The present applicant previously proposed a method for efficiently producing wheat bran that is excellent in secondary processability and has a good appearance, flavor, and texture in secondary processed products (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 3 discloses a wheat flour composition for bread, which is made by mixing 100 parts by mass of wheat flour derived from red wheat with wheat bran derived from white wheat in a ratio of 4 parts by mass to 25 parts by mass, for the purpose of producing delicious bread with excellent flavor, texture, appearance, etc. Patent Document 4 also discloses a method for producing finely ground bran, which is made by using Western White wheat as wheat and collecting bran of an intermediate particle size fraction, excluding fractions with particle sizes smaller than a predetermined value and fractions with particle sizes larger than a predetermined value, from the bran fractions separated in a milling process for obtaining flour from the wheat, for the purpose of reducing bran odor, roasting the bran, and then grinding the bran so that the median diameter in the particle size distribution is 100 μm or less. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-243984 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-53868 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2009-254240 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2017-12099 A Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, although the manufacturing methods of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are excellent in secondary processability and can efficiently produce wheat bran with good appearance, flavor and texture in secondary processed products, there is room for improvement, especially in terms of further improvement of secondary processability. In addition, the techniques of Patent Documents 3 and 4 result in poor secondary processability of the wheat bran obtained, and the texture of the secondary processed products is also unsatisfactory.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wheat bran composition that is highly suitable for secondary processing and can be processed into secondary processed products with excellent appearance, flavor and texture, and a method for producing the same.

[0007] The present invention provides a wheat bran composition made from white wheat, having a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for producing a wheat bran composition, which comprises grinding white wheat kernels to obtain a wheat bran composition having a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The wheat bran composition and its manufacturing method of the present invention will be described below based on its preferred embodiment. In the following description, when it is described as "X to Y[Z]" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers, and [Z] is an arbitrary unit), it means "X[Z] or more and Y[Z] or less" unless otherwise specified.

[0010] The wheat bran composition of the present invention contains wheat bran obtained from white wheat, a type of wheat of the family Poaceae, and contains a predetermined amount of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. Generally, wheat caryopsis (wheat kernel) is roughly divided into endosperm, outer skin (outer skin and seed coat), and germ (embryo), and wheat bran is obtained by crushing wheat kernels and removing endosperm and germ to obtain a fraction derived from the outer skin. Usually, the moisture content of the crushed wheat bran produced in this manner is 15% by mass or less. The wheat bran composition includes both a product using the fraction as it is, and a wheat bran processed product obtained by further crushing, classifying, heat treating, etc., the fraction. The wheat bran composition typically has a moisture content of 3 to 15% by mass, and is preferably a powdered product. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, unless otherwise specified, a wheat bran composition that is a powdered product having a moisture content in the above-mentioned range will be described as an example. Furthermore, when the moisture content of the wheat bran composition is 8 to 9 mass %, the contents of the components described below are preferred in terms of obtaining high quality of the composition.

[0011] Wheat is broadly divided into two types, red wheat and white wheat, according to the color observed when the wheat kernel is visually observed. Red wheat is wheat that contains a red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually observed, it is observed as red, reddish brown, or brown. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat that contains almost no red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually observed, it is observed as white or pale yellow. In the present invention, by using white wheat as a raw material for the wheat bran composition, it is possible to improve the suitability for secondary processing, and the obtained secondary processed product has a good flavor due to a reduction in unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, a smooth texture, and an excellent appearance.

[0012] Specific examples of white wheat used in the present invention include common wheat such as Australian Standard White (ASW, produced in Australia), Prime Hard (PH, produced in Australia), Soft White (SW, produced in the United States), and Western White (WW, produced in the United States), as well as durum wheat (produced in countries around the world). These white wheats can be appropriately selected, for example, based on genetic characteristics.

[0013] In addition, ordinary wheat is roughly divided into three types according to the hardness of the wheat kernel: hard wheat, soft wheat, and medium wheat having a hardness intermediate between hard and soft wheat. Among these types, from the viewpoint of further improving the flavor and texture of the obtained wheat bran composition, it is preferable to use white wheat classified as medium wheat among white wheat. Taking the above-mentioned white wheat and ordinary wheat as an example, hard wheat includes Prime Hard, medium wheat includes Australian Standard White, and soft wheat includes Western White. In other words, ASW is preferably used as white wheat classified as medium wheat.

[0014] The wheat bran composition of the present invention preferably has a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more, more preferably 44% by mass or more, and even more preferably 45% by mass or more, and from the viewpoint of the production efficiency of secondary processed products, 60% by mass or less is realistic. By setting the dietary fiber content in such a range, the secondary processed products produced using the wheat bran composition have a good taste and texture derived from wheat bran and a good appearance. In addition, the health promotion effect of ingesting dietary fiber can be obtained. The dietary fiber content can be appropriately adjusted by, for example, performing at least one of grinding and classification on the wheat bran fraction obtained by grinding wheat kernels to increase the content of wheat husk.

[0015] The dietary fiber content in the present invention is the total value of soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, which is determined by the modified Prosky method (analysis method based on the AOAC985.29 method) based on the Analysis Manual of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2015 Edition (7th Edition). The dietary fiber content can be measured, for example, using a commercially available measurement kit based on the modified Prosky method.

[0016] The wheat bran composition of the present invention has a carbohydrate content relative to the mass of the composition of preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 17.7% by mass or less, even more preferably 17% by mass or less, and even more preferably 16% by mass or less. From the viewpoint of the production efficiency of secondary processed products, a carbohydrate content of 10% by mass or more is practical. By setting the carbohydrate content within such a range, the suitability of the wheat bran composition for secondary processing can be improved, and the obtained secondary processed products have excellent appearance and texture. The carbohydrate content can be appropriately adjusted, for example, by further subjecting the wheat bran fraction obtained by grinding wheat kernels to at least one of grinding and classification.

[0017] The carbohydrate content in the present invention can be the value obtained by subtracting the dietary fiber value from the carbohydrate value determined by a subtraction method based on the Analysis Manual of the 2015 Edition (7th Edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. That is, the carbohydrate content in the present invention is the value obtained by subtracting the masses of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of 100 g of the measurement object. The masses of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber can each be quantified based on the analysis manual.

[0018] The wheat bran composition having the above-mentioned constitution has good physical properties such as elasticity, shape retention, moldability, etc. of the dough produced when it is used for secondary processing into foods such as bread and noodles, and has high suitability for secondary processing. In addition, secondary processed products processed using the wheat bran composition have reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, excellent flavor and texture, and good appearance. In detail, starch is contained in the wheat husk and its surroundings, which are the raw material for wheat bran, but there are few starches that have a structure suitable for secondary processing, and many of these starches are of poor quality. When a wheat bran composition containing such starches is used for secondary processing, the physical properties of the dough tend to deteriorate, and as a result, the texture and appearance of the secondary processed products tend to deteriorate. In this regard, the wheat bran composition of the present invention has a low carbohydrate content, so that poor quality starches are less likely to be mixed in, and as a result, the suitability for secondary processing is increased, and the appearance and texture of the secondary processed products are good. In addition, since the wheat bran composition is made from white wheat, it is possible to produce a good flavor in the secondary processed product with less bitterness and harshness compared to the case of using red wheat. Furthermore, since it contains a predetermined amount of dietary fiber, it is possible to efficiently exert the health promotion effect by ingesting dietary fiber while improving the secondary processing suitability, appearance, flavor and texture.

[0019] In order to ensure that the secondary processed products produced using the wheat bran composition have a smooth and good texture, the wheat bran composition preferably has an average particle size of 10 to 200 μm, more preferably 20 to 150 μm, even more preferably 30 to 120 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 100 μm. The average particle size in the present invention refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution analyzer (for example, "Microtrack Particle Size Distribution Analyzer 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

[0020] From the viewpoint of further improving the appearance of the wheat bran composition and secondary processed products using the same, the L value of the wheat bran composition is preferably 60 to 100. The L value is the L* value defined in the CIE 1976 (L*, a*, b*) color space (CIELAB), and can be measured, for example, in accordance with JIS Z8781.

[0021] The wheat bran composition preferably has an arabinoxylan content of 20% by mass or more, more preferably 20 to 25% by mass relative to the mass of the composition. Arabinoxylan is a type of water-soluble dietary fiber formed by polymerization of arabinose and xylose, and has been reported to have an effect of improving immune function. Therefore, when a wheat bran composition containing the above-mentioned amount of arabinoxylan or a secondary processed product using the same is ingested, the health promotion effect can be further enhanced.

[0022] The arabinoxylan content can be quantified, for example, by using high performance liquid chromatography under the following measurement conditions, but is not limited to this method. In the pretreatment method in this method, 0.6 g of the wheat bran composition to be measured is mixed with a 72 v / v% aqueous sulfuric acid solution and stirred at room temperature for 1 hour. The solid content obtained by stirring is mixed with a 4 v / v% aqueous sulfuric acid solution and autoclaved (121 ° C, 20 minutes). The aqueous solution is cooled and neutralized, and the volume is adjusted to 200 mL, and the filtrate obtained by filtration is introduced into high performance liquid chromatography to quantify the amounts of arabinose, xylose, and galactose. The quantified values ​​of arabinose, xylose, and galactose obtained are substituted into the following calculation formula to calculate the arabinoxylan mass (g). The arabinoxylan content (mass%) is the percentage of the arabinoxylan mass (g) relative to the mass (g) of the wheat bran composition to be measured. Arabinoxylan mass (g) = 0.88 x (arabinose mass (g) + xylose mass (g) - 0.7 x galactose mass (g))

[0023] <Examples of measurement conditions for high performance liquid chromatography> Model: LC-20AD (Shimadzu Corporation) Detector: Fluorescence spectrophotometer RF-20Axs (Shimadzu Corporation) Column: TSKgel SUGAR AXI, φ4.6mm×150mm (Tosoh Corporation) Column temperature: 60℃ Mobile phase: 0.5mol / L borate buffer (pH8.7) Flow rate: 0.4mL / min Injection volume: 20μL Fluorescence excitation wavelength: 320 nm Fluorescence measurement wavelength: 430 mm Post-column: Reaction solution 1w / v% L-arginine solution Reaction solution flow rate: 0.7mL / min Reaction temperature: 150°C

[0024] In addition, the wheat bran composition has an alkylresorcinol content of 0.25% by mass or more, more preferably 0.25 to 1.0% by mass, and even more preferably 0.25 to 0.52% by mass, based on the mass of the composition. Alkylresorcinol is a general term for compounds having a 1,3-dihydroxy-5-n-alkylbenzene skeleton, as described in, for example, JP 2016-153387 A and JP 2019-104755 A, and has been reported to have sleep-improving and anti-obesity effects. Therefore, when a wheat bran composition containing the above-mentioned amount of alkylresorcinol and a secondary processed product using the same are ingested, the health promotion effect can be further enhanced. In addition, alkylresorcinol is localized in the wheat bran, particularly in the area close to the aleurone layer. In particular, since the wheat bran composition of the present invention contains a large amount of the above-mentioned site, it is possible to contain a large amount of alkylresorcinol in the above-mentioned amount, and the health promotion effect can be further enhanced. In addition, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving the taste and texture compared to normal wheat bran. The alkylresorcinol content can be measured using partition chromatography based on the method described in, for example, JP 2016-132641 A.

[0025] The wheat bran composition is preferably one that has been subjected to heat treatment such as dry heat treatment and moist heat treatment, and more preferably one that has been subjected to moist heat treatment. By subjecting the wheat bran composition to such heat treatment, the secondary processability is further improved, and the flavor and texture of the resulting secondary processed product are further improved.

[0026] A suitable method for producing the wheat bran composition of the present invention is described below. First, the raw material white wheat grains are pulverized, and the endosperm and germ are separated to obtain wheat bran (pulverization step). The white wheat grains used for pulverization may be conditioned by adding water to the grains, or may be pulverized without adding water and conditioning. There are no particular limitations on the method for collecting wheat bran from the pulverized grains, and for example, a method can be used in which the pulverized grains are separated into wheat bran and other components by a known classification method such as sieving, and then the wheat bran is collected.

[0027] The grinding of white wheat grains can be performed by a grinding method commonly used in the present technical field, such as roll grinding, impact grinding, airflow grinding, etc. The grinding of grains can be performed only once, or multiple times by the same or different grinding methods. For example, roll grinding and impact grinding can be combined and performed in this order, or roll grinding can be performed multiple times in multiple stages. In addition, the grinder used for impact grinding is not particularly limited as long as it grinds by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor. From the viewpoint of simultaneously improving the grinding efficiency of grains and the separation efficiency of bran, it is preferable to adopt roll grinding.

[0028] The wheat bran of white wheat thus obtained may be used as the wheat bran composition of the present invention as it is, or may be used as the wheat bran composition of the present invention by further carrying out at least one of the steps described below. In either case, the wheat bran composition obtained has a dietary fiber content of preferably 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of preferably 18% by mass or less. Such a wheat bran composition can be obtained by appropriately adjusting the grinding conditions such as roll grinding and impact grinding, as well as the classification conditions and heat treatment conditions, which are performed as necessary.

[0029] From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a wheat bran composition having the above-mentioned dietary fiber content and carbohydrate content, it is preferable to perform heat treatment on the wheat bran obtained by the above-mentioned method. In addition, by passing through the heat treatment step, the wheat bran can be finely ground, which is advantageous in terms of obtaining a wheat bran composition with a small particle size with high productivity. In addition, by passing through the heat treatment step, the activity of various enzymes such as amylase and protease can be reduced or inactivated, which is particularly advantageous in terms of further improving the secondary processability and further improving the texture of the secondary processed product.

[0030] When dry heat treatment is performed as the heat treatment, the wheat bran is preferably heated to a temperature of 80 to 200 ° C., more preferably 90 to 150 ° C., and the treatment is preferably performed for 1 to 120 minutes, more preferably 3 to 50 minutes. In the dry heat treatment, the wheat bran is introduced into an apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP-A-2004-9022, for example, and the temperature and time are set as described above. This heat treatment stirring apparatus is equipped with a cylindrical container for accommodating the object to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source for supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, and is configured to transmit the heat transfer generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw to the object to be treated via the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, thereby performing dry heat treatment.

[0031] In addition, when the heat treatment is performed as the moist heat treatment, the wheat bran is preferably kept in a closed container into which steam is introduced so that the product temperature of the wheat bran is preferably 80 to 110°C, more preferably 85 to 95°C, for 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably 3 to 30 seconds. In the moist heat treatment, for example, the wheat bran to be treated and saturated steam are introduced into a powder / granule heating device described in Japanese Patent No. 2784505 so as to reach the above-mentioned temperature and time. This powder / granule heating device is equipped with a cylindrical pressure vessel having an inlet for saturated steam and containing the product to be treated, and a stirring means having a plurality of rod-shaped blades with dimensions close to the cylinder inner diameter on a rotating shaft so as to stir the powder / granule introduced from an inlet at one end of the vessel and transfer it toward an outlet at the other end of the vessel. In particular, the moist heat treatment further improves the secondary processability, and the flavor and texture of the resulting secondary processed product become even better.

[0032] From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining a fine wheat bran composition, it is preferable to further pulverize the wheat bran to obtain a finely pulverized product, and it is even more preferable to pulverize the wheat bran that has been subjected to the heat treatment to obtain a finely pulverized product. This pulverization step is also preferably carried out by impact pulverization. The pulverization treatment is preferably carried out so that the ratio of the fraction with an average particle size of less than 200 μm to the total mass of the wheat bran is about 50 to 100 mass%, and even more preferably 70 to 100 mass%.

[0033] In order to obtain a wheat bran composition having a sharp particle size distribution and capable of being used to produce secondary processed products having a smooth texture with little roughness, it is preferable to classify the finely ground wheat bran and separate a fraction having an average particle size of preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less. This classification step may be performed using a sieve, an air classifier, or both.

[0034] When this step is carried out using a sieve, the sieve is preferably 150 to 200 μm, more preferably 150 to 180 μm, and even more preferably 150 μm, and the fraction that has passed through the sieve is collected. When this step is carried out using an air classifier, a classifier capable of accurately separating fractions with a particle size boundary of 150 to 200 μm is used, and a fraction with an average particle size of preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less is collected. From the viewpoint of space saving, it is preferable to carry out pulverization and classification using an impact pulverizer with an air classifier built in. An example of an impact pulverizer with an air classifier built in is ACM Pulverizer (trade name) manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation.

[0035] Through the above steps, the wheat bran composition of the present invention can be obtained. In particular, according to a preferred embodiment of the present production method, the wheat bran composition can be obtained by crushing white wheat grains to obtain wheat bran, heat-treating the wheat bran, and further pulverizing the heat-treated wheat bran. In addition, it is also preferred to further classify the pulverized wheat bran.

[0036] The wheat bran composition can be mixed with one or more raw materials such as flour other than wheat bran, such as wheat flour and wheat germ, proteins such as gluten, starches such as unprocessed starch and processed starch (acetylated starch, etherified starch, crosslinked starch, oxidized starch, etc.), sugars such as sugar and oligosaccharides, fats and oils such as shortening, butter and margarine, fermentation bacteria such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria, salt, skim milk powder, thickeners, emulsifiers, leavening agents, etc. to form a mix containing the wheat bran composition. This mix is ​​preferably in powder form. The content of each raw material in the mix can be appropriately adjusted depending on the processed food, which is the desired secondary processed product, but the content of the wheat bran composition relative to the total mass of the mix is ​​preferably 1 to 70% by mass, more preferably 1 to 60% by mass.

[0037] The wheat bran composition can also be used as a raw material to produce processed foods, which are secondary processed products. In detail, the wheat bran composition, preferably the mix containing wheat bran, is mixed with a dough preparation liquid such as water, milk, whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, fresh cream, or kansui water to produce a clay-like dough (so-called dough) or a paste-like dough (so-called batter). The dough is then shaped to have the desired shape of the processed food, and, if necessary, the dough is dried, cooled, or fermented, or the dough is subjected to a heat treatment such as baking, steaming, frying, or boiling to produce the processed food.

[0038] When using a mix containing a wheat bran composition to produce processed foods, the amount of dough preparation liquid added to the mix is ​​preferably about 50 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mix when water is used as the dough preparation liquid and is a dough, and is preferably about 90 to 300 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mix when the dough is a batter.

[0039] The mix containing the wheat bran composition has good dough moldability and good secondary processing suitability, and can be suitably used to produce various processed foods such as breads such as bread and rolls, bakery foods such as waffles, crepes, pancakes, hotcakes, sponge cakes, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, obanyaki, and taiyaki, noodles such as udon, somen, hiyamugi, soba, Chinese noodles, and pasta, noodle skins such as gyoza skins and spring roll skins, and fried foods such as tempura, fried chicken, tatsuta-age, and fritters. The processed foods obtained are excellent in appearance, flavor, and texture. In detail, if the processed food is bread, it will have an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or harshness, and a soft and good texture. If the processed food is noodles, it will have a white color, an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or harshness, and a strong elasticity and good texture. EXAMPLES

[0040] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In each of the wheat bran compositions of the examples and comparative examples, the dietary fiber, carbohydrate, arabinoxylan and alkylresorcinol contents (mass%) relative to the mass of the composition were measured based on the above-mentioned method. The results are shown in Table 1 below. The wheat bran compositions of Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 10 were all powdery products consisting of wheat bran alone, and the moisture content of each of the compositions was adjusted to a range of 8 to 9 mass%, and the average particle size of each of the compositions measured by the above-mentioned measurement method was in the range of 85 to 94 μm.

[0041] [Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1] The raw wheat used was white wheat and medium quality wheat (ASW), which was refined and crushed in a roll crusher. The crushed material was classified using a sieve with 200 μm openings, and wheat bran was collected as the residue on the sieve.

[0042] Next, the collected wheat bran was impact-pulverized using a turbo mill (manufactured by Tokyo Flour Mills), and the pulverized product was subjected to a wet heat treatment at a product temperature of 90°C for 5 seconds while introducing saturated steam using a powder and grain heating device described in Patent No. 2784505. Next, the pulverized product after the wet heat treatment was finely pulverized using an impact fine grinder (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and then classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm. The fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain the desired wheat bran composition. Fractions with different dietary fiber and carbohydrate contents were obtained by appropriately adjusting the grinding conditions for roll grinding and impact grinding.

[0043] Example 5 A wheat bran composition was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that instead of the moist heat treatment, a dry heat treatment was performed using an apparatus having a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP 2004-9022 A, in which the product was heated for 25 minutes to a product temperature of 120°C.

[0044] [Examples 6 to 7 and Comparative Example 2] A wheat bran composition was obtained by carrying out moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that WW, which is white wheat and soft wheat, was used as the raw wheat material.

[0045] Example 8 A wheat bran composition was obtained by carrying out dry heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 5, except that WW, which is white wheat and soft wheat, was used as the raw wheat.

[0046] [Examples 9 to 10 and Comparative Example 3] A wheat bran composition was obtained by carrying out a moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that PH, which is white wheat and hard wheat, was used as the raw wheat material.

[0047] Example 11 A wheat bran composition was obtained by carrying out dry heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 5, except that PH, which is white wheat and hard wheat, was used as the raw wheat.

[0048] [Comparative Examples 4 to 10] Wheat bran compositions were obtained by carrying out moist heat treatment in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the raw wheat used was domestic red and medium wheat (variety: Kitahonami, Comparative Examples 4-5), red and hard wheat No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring (1CW, produced in Canada; Comparative Examples 6-8), or red and hard wheat Dark Northern Spring (DNS, produced in the United States; Comparative Examples 9-10).

[0049] [Evaluation 1: Bread production] The wheat bran composition of each Example and Comparative Example was mixed with the following raw materials in the ratios shown below to prepare dough, and bread, which is a secondary processed product (processed food), was produced through the following bread production process. Ten expert panelists produced and ate the bread to evaluate the workability (secondary processability) of the dough during bread production, as well as the flavor and texture of the resulting bread. The panelists evaluated each Example and Comparative Example by setting the wheat bran composition of Comparative Example 4 as the "control example" and setting the evaluation score for the bread produced and eaten using this to "2 points" respectively, and evaluated according to the evaluation criteria shown below. The results are shown in Table 1 as arithmetic mean values.

[0050] <Bread ingredients> (The units of ingredients shown below are "parts by mass.") · Wheat flour (strong flour): 60 Wheat bran composition: 30 Gluten: 10 Wheat germ: 0.5 Fermented starter: 5 Fabric improver: 0.8 Fresh yeast: 3.5 Salt: 2 ·Cast sugar: 4 Skim milk powder: 2 Shortening: 6 ·Wed:74 (Gluten: H-10 by Ogawa Flour Mills, Wheat Germ: Hygie SP by Fresh Food Service, Fermented Starter: Creme de Levain by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., Dough Improver: Eurobake Sirius by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

[0051] <Bread manufacturing process> Each raw material was put into a mixing device (Kanto Mixing Machine Co., Ltd., vertical mixer HPi-20M) and mixed at a product temperature of 27°C, in the order of 7 minutes at low speed, 5 minutes at medium-low speed, and 2 minutes at medium-high speed to prepare dough. This dough was left to stand for 60 minutes under conditions of 27°C and 75% RH to ferment. The fermented dough was divided into 450g portions and left to stand for 20 minutes with a bench time. These doughs were formed into rolls and placed in a one-loaf bread mold, and left to stand for 50 minutes under conditions of 38°C and 85% RH to perform proofing. Finally, the dough after proofing was baked at 220°C for 30 minutes to obtain bread containing the wheat bran composition of the examples and comparative examples.

[0052] <Evaluation of secondary processing of bread> 5 points: The fabric is much easier to organize than the control example (Comparative Example 4) and has very good secondary processability. 4 points: The fabric is easier to hold together than the control, and has good secondary processability. 3 points: The fabric is somewhat easier to hold together than the control example, and secondary processability is somewhat better. 2 points: secondary processability equivalent to that of the control example. 1 point: The fabric is less cohesive than the control, and secondary processability is poor.

[0053] <Bread texture> 5 points: Much softer than the control example (Comparative Example 4), and has an excellent texture. 4 points: Softer than the control, with a better texture. 3 points: Slightly softer than the control, with a slightly better texture. 2 points: The texture is the same as the control. 1 point: Harder than the control, with a poor texture. <Bread flavor> 5 points: Compared with the control example (Comparative Example 4), there is no bitterness or it is very weakly bitter, and the flavor is very excellent. 4 points: Less bitter than the control, and has excellent flavor. 3 points: Compared to the control example, the bitterness is slightly weaker and the flavor is quite good. 2 points: Flavor is the same as the control. 1 point: Compared to the control, it has a strong bitter taste and a bad flavor.

[0054] [Evaluation 2: Noodle production] The wheat bran composition of each Example and Comparative Example was mixed with the raw materials shown below in the ratios shown below to prepare dough, and noodles, which are secondary processed products (processed foods), were manufactured through the following noodle manufacturing process. Ten expert panelists manufactured and ate the noodles to evaluate the workability of the dough during manufacturing (secondary processability) and the flavor and texture of the resulting noodles. The panelists evaluated each Example and Comparative Example using the wheat bran composition of Comparative Example 4 as the "control example," setting the evaluation score for the noodles manufactured and ate using this to "2 points," and evaluated according to the evaluation criteria shown below. The results are shown in Table 1 as arithmetic mean values.

[0055] <Ingredients for noodles> (The units of ingredients shown below are "parts by mass.") (Mixed powder) ·Wheat flour (all-purpose flour): 52 Wheat bran composition: 30 Gluten: 14 Dried egg white: 3 Thickener: 1 (liquid for dough preparation) Salt: 1 Watering: 1.5 ·Wed: 58 (Gluten: H-10 manufactured by Ogawa Flour Mills, dried egg white: Sankirara RS manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., thickener: Neosoft T manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.)

[0056] <Noodle manufacturing process> The mixed powder and the dough preparation liquid were put into a mixer for noodles and mixed under vacuum conditions (700 mmHg) at high speed for 5 minutes and then at low speed for 7 minutes to prepare the dough. The obtained noodle dough was rolled and combined to form a noodle band with a thickness of 1.6 mm, which was then cut into noodle strands using a #20 square cutting blade. The noodle strands were boiled in hot water to obtain noodles containing the wheat bran composition of the examples and comparative examples.

[0057] <Evaluation of secondary processing of noodles> 5 points: The fabric is much easier to organize than the control example (Comparative Example 4) and has very good secondary processability. 4 points: The fabric is easier to hold together than the control, and has good secondary processability. 3 points: The fabric is somewhat easier to hold together than the control example, and secondary processability is somewhat better. 2 points: secondary processability equivalent to that of the control example. 1 point: The fabric is less cohesive than the control, and secondary processability is poor.

[0058] <Noodle texture> 5 points: Elasticity is stronger than that of the control example (Comparative Example 4), and the texture is very excellent. 4 points: More elastic than the control and has an excellent texture. 3 points: Slightly more elastic than the control, and the texture is slightly better. 2 points: The texture is the same as the control. 1 point: Less elastic than the control, with a poor texture. <Noodle Flavor> 5 points: Compared with the control example (Comparative Example 4), there is no bitterness or it is very weakly bitter, and the flavor is very excellent. 4 points: Less bitter than the control, and has excellent flavor. 3 points: Compared to the control example, the bitterness is slightly weaker and the flavor is quite good. 2 points: Flavor is the same as the control. 1 point: Compared to the control, it has a strong bitter taste and a bad flavor.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] As shown in Table 1, by using a wheat bran composition made from white wheat and containing dietary fiber and carbohydrates in a prescribed range, it is possible to produce processed foods that are excellent in secondary processability and have excellent appearance, flavor, and texture. In particular, as shown in Examples 1 to 4, by using a wheat bran composition made from white and medium-quality wheat, containing dietary fiber and carbohydrates in a suitable range, and having been subjected to a moist heat treatment, it is possible to produce processed foods that are excellent in secondary processability and have even better appearance, flavor, and texture. [Industrial Applicability]

[0061] According to the present invention, there is provided a wheat bran composition which is highly suitable for secondary processing and can be processed into secondary processed products having excellent appearance, flavor and texture, and a method for producing the same.

Claims

1. This wheat bran composition is made from white wheat and has a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less.

2. 2. The wheat bran composition of claim 1, wherein the white wheat is medium wheat.

3. 3. The wheat bran composition according to claim 1 or 2, having an average particle size of 200 μm or less.

4. The wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has been heat treated.

5. The wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which has been subjected to a moist heat treatment.

6. The wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having an arabinoxylan content of 20% by mass or more.

7. The wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, having an alkylresorcinol content of 0.25% by mass or more.

8. A method for producing a wheat bran composition comprising crushing white wheat kernels to obtain a wheat bran composition having a dietary fiber content of 43% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 18% by mass or less.

9. A mix containing the wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A method for producing a processed food using the wheat bran composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 as a raw material.

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