Water dispersible modifier for cocoa powder-containing powders

Abstract

To provide a water dispersible modifier for cocoa powder-containing powders capable of enhancing water dispersibility of the powders by adding the modifier to the cocoa powder-containing powders.SOLUTION: A water dispersible modifier for cocoa powder-containing powders includes the following components (A) to (C) and is a liquid at normal temperature: (A) at least one kind selected from a group consisting of edible fat, glycerin acetic acid fatty acid ester, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester and being a liquid; (B) di-glycerin unsaturated fatty acid ester; and (C) at least one kind selected from a group consisting of mono-glycerin fatty acid ester, poly-glycerin fatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester and having 8 to 12 carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agent for improving the water-dispersibility of cocoa powder-containing powders. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cocoa powder is produced as follows. First, raw cocoa beans are crushed and then roasted, or roasted and then crushed, and the outer skin and germ are removed from the crushed product to obtain cocoa nibs, which are the endosperm. Next, the cocoa nibs are ground to obtain cocoa mass. The cocoa mass is pressed or the like to remove a portion of the fat, i.e., the cocoa butter, to obtain a cocoa cake, and the kibble obtained by roughly crushing the cocoa cake is pulverized to produce cocoa powder. At this time, the cocoa nibs or cocoa mass are treated with an alkaline solution in order to improve the dispersibility of the obtained cocoa powder in hot water and to give it a preferred color tone.

[0003] However, since cocoa powder is a fine powder that usually contains about 10 to 24% fat (cocoa butter), when trying to dissolve the cocoa powder in water, it does not wet well with water and does not disperse or dissolve easily, but accumulates and becomes lumpy. Therefore, in order to disperse and dissolve the cocoa powder in water or hot water, it is necessary to take the time to knead it in advance with a small amount of water or hot water. In addition, even when milk powder, sugar, protein powder, etc. are added to make a cocoa powder-containing powder, there is a disadvantage that it is prone to clumping when consumed. In addition, the fat contained in the cocoa powder tends to migrate within the cocoa powder-containing powder, making it even more prone to clumping.

[0004] In order to improve the solubility of cocoa powder in water or hot water, cocoa powder or a powder containing cocoa powder is granulated by a known granulation method, but even the cocoa granules produced by this conventional method have poor dispersibility, and even when hot water is added and stirred well, the particles are not completely dissolved or dispersed, and some particles remain. This is thought to be because the granules become hard during granulation, making it difficult for water to penetrate into the granules. In addition, there is a drawback that the flavor volatilizes due to the heat applied during granulation. Therefore, various technologies have been proposed to improve the water wettability of cocoa powder.

[0005] For example, there have been proposed a method of obtaining a water-soluble cocoa powder by mixing a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered sugar with an aqueous solution containing an emulsifier, followed by drying (Patent Document 1); a method of obtaining a water-soluble cocoa powder by spraying an emulsifier onto a granulated product of cocoa powder or modified cocoa (Patent Document 2); a method of obtaining a water-soluble cocoa powder by granulating cocoa powder and spraying a lipophilic polyglycerol fatty acid ester and a hydrophilic polyglycerol fatty acid ester dissolved and dispersed in an oil or fat onto the granulated product (Patent Document 3); a method of producing a water-soluble cocoa powder by adding an emulsifier to kibble obtained by roughly crushing cocoa cake, mixing and dispersing the mixture, and then pulverizing the mixture (Patent Document 4); and a method of improving the water wettability of cocoa powder by using an oil or fat composition containing (a) an oil or fat, (b) a polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and (c) a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester (Patent Document 5).

[0006] However, even these methods have not yet achieved sufficient improvement in the water dispersibility of cocoa powder-containing powders. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 36-010690 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 58-146238 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-087892 [Patent Document 4] JP 2000-125767 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2005-110593 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a water-dispersibility improver for cocoa powder-containing powder, which can improve the water dispersibility of the cocoa powder-containing powder by adding it to the powder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved at once by a composition containing (A) one or more selected from the group consisting of edible fats and oils, glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters, which are liquid at room temperature, (B) a diglycerin unsaturated fatty acid ester, and (C) one or more selected from the group consisting of monoglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters, which have a constituent fatty acid having a carbon number of 8 to 12.

[0010] That is, the present invention provides: (1) A water-dispersibility improver for improving the dispersibility of a cocoa powder-containing powder, which contains the following components (A) to (C) and is liquid at room temperature: (A) One or more selected from the group consisting of edible oils and fats, glycerol acetate fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters, which are liquid at room temperature. (B) Diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester (C) one or more selected from the group consisting of monoglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters, the constituent fatty acids of which have a carbon number of 8 to 12; (2) A cocoa powder-containing powder containing the water-dispersibility improver for the cocoa powder-containing powder described in (1) above. It consists of: Effect of the Invention

[0011] The water-dispersibility improver for cocoa powder-containing powders of the present invention can improve the water dispersibility of cocoa powder-containing powders. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The edible fats and oils used as component (A) in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are liquid at room temperature (15 to 25°C) and edible. For example, (a): vegetable fats and oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, wheat germ oil, etc., (b): animal fats and oils such as fish oil, (c): fractionated oils of (a) or (b), (d): one or more transesterified oils selected from (a), (b), and (c), or (e): medium chain triglyceride (MCT), etc., preferably soybean oil, rapeseed oil, MCT, etc.

[0013] The medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride is a triglyceride containing medium-chain fatty acids as its constituent component, for example, triglycerides containing one or more fatty acids having 6 to 12 carbon atoms as its constituent fatty acids, preferably triglycerides containing fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms as its constituent fatty acids. Furthermore, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides also include triglycerides containing only a small amount or a small amount of fatty acids having less than 6 carbon atoms or 13 or more carbon atoms as its constituent fatty acids, in addition to fatty acids having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

[0014] Examples of edible oils and fats that are commercially produced and sold include Actor M-1 (trade name: MCT; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), Actor M-6 (trade name: MCT; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), rapeseed salad oil (trade name: rapeseed oil; manufactured by Boso Oil Co., Ltd.), and soybean salad oil (trade name: soybean oil; manufactured by Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd.), and these can be used in the present invention.

[0015] The glycerin acetate fatty acid ester used as component (A) in the present invention is an esterification product of glycerin, acetic acid, and fatty acid, and can be obtained, for example, by the reaction of a glycerin mono-fatty acid ester with acetic anhydride or the esterification reaction of glycerin, acetic acid, and fatty acid. The obtained reaction product is a mixture containing glycerin mono-acetate fatty acid ester, glycerin di-acetate fatty acid ester, etc. There is no limitation on the ester as long as it is liquid at room temperature.

[0016] The fatty acid constituting the glycerin acetate fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.). Among these, saturated fatty acids having 8 to 18 carbon atoms or unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms (e.g., caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.) are generally used. Among these, saturated fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms or unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms are preferred, and lauric acid is particularly preferred. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more.

[0017] As the glycerin acetate fatty acid ester, Poem G-002 (trade name: glycerin acetate laurate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) and the like are commercially manufactured and sold, and these can be used in the present invention.

[0018] The propylene glycol fatty acid ester used as component (A) in the present invention is an esterification product of propylene glycol and a fatty acid. There are no limitations on the ester as long as it is liquid at room temperature, but it is preferably a monoester.

[0019] The fatty acid constituting the propylene glycol fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.). Among these, saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 14 to 22 carbon atoms (e.g., myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.) are generally used. Among these, unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms (e.g., oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.) are preferred, and oleic acid is particularly preferred. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more.

[0020] Propylene glycol fatty acid esters include Rikemal PO-100V (product name: propylene glycol monooleate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) and Type BP (product name: propylene glycol monolaurate; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), which are commercially manufactured and sold, and these can be used in the present invention.

[0021] The diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester used as component (B) in the present invention is an esterification product of an unsaturated fatty acid and diglycerol, which is a polyglycerol having an average polymerization degree of 2. The ester is preferably a monoester.

[0022] The fatty acid constituting the diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is an unsaturated fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include straight-chain unsaturated fatty acids having 16 to 22 carbon atoms (e.g., palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, ricinoleic acid, erucic acid, linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, etc.), of which oleic acid is preferred. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more.

[0023] As an example of a diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester, Poem DO-100V (product name: diglycerol monooleate ester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) is commercially produced and sold, and this can be used in the present invention.

[0024] The monoglycerin fatty acid ester used as component (C) in the present invention is an ester of glycerin and a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and can be produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction or an ester exchange reaction. The ester is preferably a monoester.

[0025] The fatty acid constituting the monoglycerin fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils and has 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more.

[0026] Examples of monoglycerol fatty acid esters that are commercially produced and sold include monoglycerol monocaprylate (trade name: Poem M-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acid: 8; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), monoglycerol monocaprate (trade name: Poem M-200; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acid: 10; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and monoglycerol monolaurate (trade name: Poem M-300; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acid: 12; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and these can be used in the present invention.

[0027] The polyglycerol fatty acid ester used as component (C) in the present invention is an ester of polyglycerol and a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and can be produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction, an ester exchange reaction, etc. The polyglycerol is preferably a polyglycerol (diglycerol) having an average degree of polymerization of 2.

[0028] The fatty acid constituting the polyglycerol fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils and has 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and examples thereof include caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more.

[0029] Examples of polyglycerol fatty acid esters that are commercially available include diglycerol caprylic acid ester (product name: Poem FB-28; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acid: 8; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) and diglycerol lauric acid ester (product name: Poem DL-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acid: 12; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and these can be used in the present invention.

[0030] The sorbitan fatty acid ester used as component (C) in the present invention is an ester of an intramolecular condensate of sorbitol, which contains sorbitan as the main component, and a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and can be produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction or an ester exchange reaction.

[0031] The fatty acid constituting the sorbitan fatty acid ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a fatty acid having 8 to 12 carbon atoms originating from edible animal and vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. These fatty acids may be used alone or in any combination of two or more. Furthermore, these fatty acids may contain fatty acids other than fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, as long as the object and effect of the present invention are achieved. In this case, the content of fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms in 100% by mass of the constituent fatty acids of the sorbitan fatty acid ester is 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more.

[0032] There are no particular limitations on the contents of components (A) to (C) in 100% by mass of the water-dispersibility improver for the cocoa powder-containing powder of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "water-dispersibility improver"), but the contents can be adjusted so that, for example, the content of component (A) is 10 to 85% by mass, preferably 20 to 70% by mass, the content of component (B) is 10 to 85% by mass, preferably 20 to 70% by mass, and the content of component (C) is 5 to 80% by mass, preferably 5 to 20% by mass.

[0033] There are no particular limitations on the method for producing the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention, but for example, a method can be carried out in which components (A) to (C) are heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of component (C) (e.g., 50 to 90°C), mixed uniformly, and the resulting mixture is cooled to obtain a water-dispersibility improver that is liquid at room temperature. Since the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention is liquid at room temperature, it is not necessary to heat it when it is added to a cocoa powder-containing powder, and it is preferable because it does not cause clogging of the spray section when it is added by spraying.

[0034] The water-dispersibility improver of the present invention may contain any other component other than the components (A) to (C) as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. Examples of such components include food emulsifiers other than the components (A) to (C) (e.g., monoglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, or propylene glycol fatty acid esters that do not fall under the components (A) to (C), sucrose fatty acid esters, lecithin, etc.), water, glycerin, sorbitol, antioxidants, etc.

[0035] The water-dispersibility improver of the present invention can improve the water dispersibility of a powder containing cocoa powder by adding it to the powder.

[0036] The cocoa powder-containing powder to which the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention is added is not particularly limited as long as it is a powdered food or beverage containing cocoa powder, and may contain any other ingredients within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of such ingredients include food ingredients such as protein powders (whey protein, casein, soy protein, pea protein, etc.), vitamins, minerals, amino acids, flavorings, and antioxidants.

[0037] The method for adding the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention to the cocoa powder-containing powder is not particularly limited, and may be any method known per se, such as a method in which the cocoa powder-containing powder is fluidized and the water-dispersibility improver is sprayed onto the fluidized powder, or a method in which the water-dispersibility improver is added to the cocoa powder-containing powder and then mixed and dispersed.

[0038] The amount of the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention added to the cocoa powder-containing powder varies depending on the purpose of addition and the type of food material to which it is added, and is not particularly limited, but can be adjusted so that the total content of components (A) to (C) is 0.01 to 5 mass%, preferably 0.1 to 2 mass%, of 100 mass% of the cocoa powder-containing powder.

[0039] The cocoa powder-containing powder to which the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention has been added has excellent water-dispersibility and can therefore be easily dispersed, for example, in low-temperature (5 to 10° C.) water, milk, soft drinks, and the like.

[0040] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. EXAMPLES

[0041] [Production of Prototype A (sorbitan caprate)] A 500 mL four-neck flask equipped with a stirrer, thermometer, gas inlet tube, and water separator was charged with 167.3 g of sorbitol (product name: Sorbitol S; solid content concentration 70% by weight; manufactured by Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.), then 237.2 g of capric acid (product name: NAA-102; manufactured by NOF Corp.) and 0.40 g of sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. An esterification reaction was carried out at normal pressure in a nitrogen gas stream at 220°C for about 4 hours until the acid value was 5 or less. The resulting reaction product was cooled to obtain about 295 g of prototype A (sorbitan caprate; esterification rate 51%).

[0042] [Production of prototype B (sorbitan fatty acid ester)] In a 500 mL four-neck flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer, a gas inlet tube, and a water separator, 221.2 g of sorbitol (product name: Sorbitol S; solid content concentration 70% by weight; manufactured by Bussan Food Science Co., Ltd.) was charged, followed by 178.8 g of coconut oil fatty acid (product name: coconut fatty acid; manufactured by NOF Corp.). 0.47 g of sodium hydroxide was added as a catalyst, and an esterification reaction was carried out at 236°C for approximately 6 hours under normal pressure in a nitrogen gas stream. Thereafter, the pressure was reduced to 0.2 kg / cm. 2 The esterification reaction was carried out in a nitrogen gas stream at 236°C for about 4 hours until the acid value reached 1.5 or less. The reaction product was cooled to obtain about 296 g of prototype B (sorbitan fatty acid ester; content of fatty acids having 8 to 12 carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acids was about 60% by mass or more; esterification rate: 32%).

[0043] [Preparation of Water Dispersibility Improver] (1) Raw materials 1) Component (A): Edible oils and fats, glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, or propylene glycol fatty acid esters that are liquid at room temperature. 1-1) MCT (product name: Actor M-6; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 1-2) Rapeseed oil (product name: rapeseed salad oil; manufactured by Boso Oil Co., Ltd.) 1-3) Glycerol acetate laurate (product name: Poem G-002; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 1-4) Propylene glycol monooleate (product name: Rikemal PO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 2) Component (B): Diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester 2-1) Diglycerol monooleate (product name: Poem DO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3) Component (C): Monoglycerol fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester, or sorbitan fatty acid ester, whose constituent fatty acids have 8 to 12 carbon atoms. 3-1) Monoglycerin monocaprylic acid ester (product name: Poem M-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 8; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3-2) Monoglycerol monocaprate (product name: Poem M-200; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 10; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3-3) Diglycerol caprylic acid ester (product name: Poem FB-28; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 8; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3-4) Diglycerol laurate (product name: Poem DL-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 12; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3-5) Sorbitan caprate (Prototype A; number of carbon atoms in fatty acid: 10) 3-6) Sorbitan fatty acid ester (Prototype B; the content of fatty acids with 8 to 12 carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acids is approximately 60% by mass or more) 4) Component (C)': Monoglycerol fatty acid ester, polyglycerol fatty acid ester or sorbitan fatty acid ester other than component (C). 4-1) Monoglycerol monostearate (product name: Emulgy V-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 18; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 4-2) Diglycerol monostearate (product name: Poem DS-100; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 18; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 4-3) Hexaglycerin stearate (product name: SY Glystar MS-5S; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 18; manufactured by Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo Co., Ltd.) 4-4) Sorbitan stearate (product name: Poem S-60V; number of carbon atoms in constituent fatty acids: 18; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

[0044] (2) Method for preparing water-dispersibility improver According to the blending ratio of the raw materials shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3, each raw material was placed in a 100 mL beaker so that the total amount was 50 g, heated at 80 ° C, and stirred with a spatula to make it uniform. Then, it was cooled to room temperature to obtain water-dispersibility improvers 1 to 19. Of these water-dispersibility improvers, water-dispersibility improvers 1 to 11 are examples of the present invention, and water-dispersibility improvers 12 to 19 are comparative examples. The properties of water-dispersibility improvers 1 to 13 and 15 were liquid at room temperature. Water-dispersibility improvers 14 and 16 to 19 caused significant precipitation of crystals or total solidification at room temperature, so it was determined that the following tests could not be carried out.

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] [Table 2]

[0047] [Table 3]

[0048] [Evaluation using soy protein powder and cocoa powder-containing powder] (1) Manufacturing of powder containing soy protein and cocoa powder 90 g of soy protein powder (trade name: Fujipro FM; manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) and 10 g of cocoa powder (trade name: Royal NPC Cocoa; manufactured by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) were added to a food processor, and the processor was operated and mixed for 30 seconds. The powder adhering to the walls and lid was then dropped into the processor, and the processor was operated again and mixed for 30 seconds to obtain a powder containing soy protein powder and cocoa powder (hereinafter referred to as "test powder S1").

[0049] (2) Addition of water dispersibility improver 100 g of the powder containing soy protein powder and cocoa powder obtained above was added to a food processor, and any one of the water-dispersibility improvers 1 to 13 and 15 was added so that the amount added was 1 mass %, and the processor was operated to mix for 30 seconds. Thereafter, the powder adhering to the walls and lid was dropped into the processor, and the processor was operated again to mix for 30 seconds to obtain a powder with added water-dispersibility improver (hereinafter referred to as "test powder S2").

[0050] (3) Dispersion test in milk 140 mL of milk at 5°C was placed in a 200 mL glass beaker, and 14 g of each test powder S2 was added thereto. After stirring with a spatula for 30 seconds, the mixture was poured into a bowl while passing through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm mesh) stainless steel sieve, and a certain amount of coarse "mamako" that did not pass through the sieve remained on the sieve. Then, 100 mL of water was poured into the sieve to wash away the milk adhering to the sieve and "mamako". The sieve with the "mamako" attached was left to stand for 5 minutes to remove excess water, and the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the sieve itself was subtracted from the mass to calculate the mass of the coarse "mamako" remaining on the sieve. In addition, a similar test was performed on test powder S1 that was not subjected to the treatment (2) as a control. In addition, the test powder S1 and each test powder S2 to which a water-dispersibility improver had been added were allowed to stand at 40° C. in a dark place for 7 days, and then the above-mentioned test was carried out again.

[0051] (4) Evaluation of water dispersion improvement effect For each test powder, the mass (g) of "Mamako" before standing at 40°C was taken as "before storage," and the mass (g) of "Mamako" after standing at 40°C in a dark place for 7 days was taken as "after storage." The water-dispersibility improving effect was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 4. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good: Both "before storage" and "after storage" are less than 5.0g ×: Poor Either "before storage" or "after storage" is 5.0g or more ××: Worse Both "before storage" and "after storage" are 5.0g or more

[0052] [Table 4]

[0053] As is clear from the results in Table 4, water-dispersibility improvers 1 to 11 of the examples showed good dispersibility both before storage and after storage at 40° C., and were given the results of “◯.” In contrast, water-dispersibility improvers 12, 13, and 15 of the comparative examples showed poor dispersibility after storage, and were given the results of “×.”

[0054] [Evaluation using whey protein powder and cocoa powder-containing powder] (1) Manufacturing of powder containing whey protein powder and cocoa powder 90 g of whey protein-containing powder (product name: PROGEL 800; manufactured by Friesland Campina) and 10 g of cocoa powder (product name: Royal NPC Cocoa; manufactured by Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) were added to a food processor, and the processor was operated and mixed for 30 seconds. The powder adhering to the walls and lid was then dropped into the processor, and the processor was operated again and mixed for 30 seconds to obtain a powder containing whey protein powder and cocoa powder (hereinafter referred to as "test powder W1").

[0055] (2) Addition of water dispersibility improver 100 g of the powder containing whey protein and cocoa powder obtained above was added to a food processor, and any of the dispersant formulations 2, 8, 11 to 13, and 15 was added so that the amount added was 1 mass %, and the processor was operated to mix for 30 seconds. Thereafter, the powder adhering to the walls and lid was dropped into the processor, and the processor was operated again to mix for 30 seconds to obtain a powder with added water-dispersibility improver (hereinafter referred to as "test powder W2").

[0056] (3) Dispersion test in milk 140 mL of milk at 5°C was placed in a 200 mL glass beaker, and 7 g of test powder W2 was added to it. After mixing by stirring with a spatula for 30 seconds, the mixture was poured into a bowl while passing through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm mesh) stainless steel sieve, and a certain amount of coarse "mamako" that did not pass through the sieve remained on the sieve. Then, 100 mL of water was poured into the sieve to wash away the milk adhering to the sieve and "mamako". The sieve with the "mamako" attached was left to stand for 5 minutes to remove excess water, and the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the sieve itself was subtracted from the mass to calculate the mass of the coarse "mamako" remaining on the sieve. In addition, a similar test was performed on test powder W1 that was not subjected to the treatment (2) as a control. In addition, the test powder W1 and each test powder W2 to which a dispersant formulation was added were allowed to stand at 40° C. in a dark place for 14 days, and then the above test was carried out again.

[0057] (4) Evaluation of water dispersion improvement effect For each test powder, the mass (g) of "Mamako" before standing at 40°C was taken as "before storage," and the mass (g) of "Mamako" after standing at 40°C in a dark place for 14 days was taken as "after storage." The water-dispersibility improving effect was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 5. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good: Both "before storage" and "after storage" are less than 5.0g ×: Poor Either "before storage" or "after storage" is 5.0g or more ××: Worse Both "before storage" and "after storage" are 5.0g or more

[0058] [Table 5]

[0059] As is clear from the results in Table 5, the water-dispersibility improvers 2, 8, and 11 of the examples exhibited good dispersibility both before and after storage, and were marked with a circle. In contrast, the water-dispersibility improvers 12, 13, and 15 of the comparative examples exhibited poor dispersibility after storage, and were marked with a circle.

[0060] [Evaluation using adjusted cocoa powder] (1) Addition of water dispersibility improver 50 g of adjusted cocoa powder (product name: Cacao no Chikara CACAO 70; Morinaga & Co., Ltd.) was added to a food processor, and any of the water-dispersibility improvers 2, 8, 11 to 13, and 15 was added so that the amount added was 1 mass %, and the processor was operated to mix for 30 seconds. Thereafter, the powder adhering to the walls and lid was dropped into the processor, and the processor was operated again to mix for 30 seconds, yielding a powder with added water-dispersibility improver (hereinafter referred to as "test powder P").

[0061] (2) Dispersion test in milk 140 mL of milk at 5°C was placed in a 200 mL glass beaker, and 7 g of each test powder P was added thereto. After stirring with a spatula for 30 seconds, the mixture was poured into a bowl while passing through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm mesh) stainless steel sieve, and a certain amount of coarse "mamako" that did not pass through the sieve remained on the sieve. Then, 100 mL of water was poured into the sieve to wash away the milk adhering to the sieve and "mamako". The sieve with the "mamako" attached was left to stand for 5 minutes to remove excess water, and the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the sieve itself was subtracted from the mass to calculate the mass of the coarse "mamako" remaining on the sieve. In addition, a similar test was performed on a control, a regulated cocoa powder that was not subjected to the above-mentioned (2) treatment. In addition, each test powder P to which the dispersant formulation was added was allowed to stand at 40° C. in a dark place for 14 days, and then the above test was carried out again.

[0062] (3) Evaluation of water dispersion improvement effect For each test powder, the mass (g) of "Mamako" before standing at 40°C was taken as "before storage," and the mass (g) of "Mamako" after standing at 40°C in a dark place for 14 days was taken as "after storage." The water-dispersibility improving effect was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 6. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good: Both "before storage" and "after storage" are less than 9.0g ×: Poor Either "before storage" or "after storage" is 9.0g or more

[0063] [Table 6]

[0064] As is clear from the results in Table 6, water-dispersibility improvers 2, 8, and 11 of the examples showed good dispersibility both before storage and after storage at 40° C., and were given the result of "○". In contrast, water-dispersibility improvers 12, 13, and 15 of the comparative examples showed poor dispersibility after storage at 40° C., and were given the result of "×".

Claims

1. The water-dispersibility improver for a cocoa powder-containing powder contains the following components (A) to (C) and is liquid at room temperature: (A) One or more selected from the group consisting of edible oils and fats, glycerol acetate fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters, which are liquid at room temperature. (B) Diglycerol unsaturated fatty acid ester (C) One or more selected from the group consisting of monoglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and sorbitan fatty acid esters, the constituent fatty acids of which have 8 to 12 carbon atoms.

2. A cocoa powder-containing powder comprising the water-dispersibility improver according to claim 1.

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