Plant-based butter-like composition

Abstract

To provide a plant-based butter-like composition that exhibits a good melt-in-the-mouth behavior while having a butter-like shape retention property.SOLUTION: The plant-based butter-like composition is an emulsion comprising a plant milk and a plant oil / fat having a rising melting point of at least 20°C and satisfies the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) A=0.7 to 3, and (b) B=1.2 to 5, where A wt.% is the content of plant milk-derived protein and B is the weight ratio of the oil / fat fraction to the total of a nonfat solids fraction and a moisture fraction.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to plant-based compositions having butter-like properties. [Background technology]

[0002] Butter, which is made from milk, is expensive, and the price is likely to rise further due to the recent shortage of supply of butter and dairy ingredients. On the other hand, margarine and other water-in-oil emulsions derived from inexpensive vegetable oils have traditionally been used as substitutes. However, most commercially available margarines also use dairy ingredients. In addition, emulsifiers are generally used in margarine to stabilize the emulsion, and with consumers becoming more health-conscious in recent years, foods that use emulsifiers are also tending to be avoided. Due to the above circumstances, there is an ever-increasing demand for plant-based butter substitutes. The following are examples of known technologies that may be related to this.

[0003] For example, Examples 3 and 7 of Patent Document 1 describe a method for producing plasticized oils and fats, which comprises adding a lecithin-free oil phase to an aqueous phase in which an appropriate amount of a hydrophilic emulsifier and soy milk have been dissolved or dispersed, emulsifying the mixture, then further adding an oil phase in which lecithin has been dissolved in advance to emulsify the mixture into an oil-in-water type oil-in-water emulsion, and then rapidly plasticizing the mixture. This technology does not require the mixture to be plant-based, and also requires both a hydrophilic emulsifier and a lipophilic emulsifier as emulsifiers.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a creamy food which is an oil-in-water emulsion, which contains 25-55% by weight of fats and oils, 0.01-3.0% by weight of an emulsifier, and 0.01-5% by weight of a heat-gelling protein such as egg white, based on the total weight of the emulsion, and which contains a polyglycerol condensed ricinoleate ester in an amount of 10% or more by weight of the total weight of the emulsifier. In this technology, egg white or lactalbumin is used as the heat-gelling protein, and butter itself is also used as the fat and oil in the examples, so there is no idea of ​​producing a plant-based butter-like composition.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes a butter-like composition comprising a solidified emulsion containing at least one vegetable oil, water, and at least 18% by weight of fiber. In the examples, extra virgin olive oil, which is a liquid oil, is used.

[0006] Patent Document 4 describes a spread made by mixing sugars such as starch syrup with soy milk, and adding fatty oil to the soy milk / sugar mixed aqueous solution to solubilize the spread, the moisture content of which is in the range of 18-30% by weight. This technology can be said to provide a plant-based spread, but in the examples, a large amount of sugars such as starch syrup is mixed with soy milk, and salad oil, which is a liquid oil, is used as the fat or oil. This spread has a certain degree of shape retention, but has a low viscosity at room temperature and is considered to have physical properties softer than butter.

[0007] Patent Document 5 describes an emulsified oil composition containing soy milk made from germinated soybeans, in which the solid content derived from soy milk made from germinated soybeans in the emulsified oil composition is 0.3 to 6.0% by weight. This technology can be said to disclose emulsified oil compositions such as vegetable-based margarine, but it follows the conventional margarine manufacturing method in which an emulsion is rapidly cooled and solidified while being kneaded, and discloses a composition similar to margarine, which is a water-in-oil emulsion.

[0008] The above documents and those cited within this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-39941 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-16050 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2002-517216 [Patent Document 4] JP 2012-95581 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2010-213637 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a plant-based butter-like composition that has shape-retaining butter-like physical properties and melts easily in the mouth. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of intensive research, the present inventors have found a plant-based butter-like composition that contains plant milk and vegetable fats and oils, and further contains a protein content derived from the plant milk and a fat and oil content in a specific ratio. This has provided the inventors with the knowledge to solve the above problems, and has led to the completion of the present invention.

[0012] That is, the present invention includes the following inventions. (1) An emulsion containing vegetable milk and vegetable oil having an upward melting point of 20°C or higher; and When the protein content derived from vegetable milk is A% by weight and the weight ratio of the fat and oil content to the total amount of non-fat solids and water is B, the following conditions (a) and (b) are satisfied: (a) A = 0.7 to 3, (b) B=1.2~5, A plant-based butter-like composition comprising: (2) The butter-like composition according to (1), which is solid at 5°C or higher and lower than 30°C; (3) The butter-like composition according to (1) or (2), which melts at mouth temperature; (4) The butter-like composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the continuous phase of the emulsion is an aqueous phase. (5) The butter-like composition according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the vegetable milk is soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk. (6) Use of the butter-like composition according to any one of (1) to (5) above as a substitute for butter cream. (7) Use of the butter-like composition according to any one of (1) to (5) above as a spread. (8) A method for producing a butter-like composition according to any one of (1) to (5) above, comprising mixing a vegetable oil having an upward melting point of 20°C or higher into an aqueous phase containing vegetable milk, emulsifying and dispersing the oil under heating, and then cooling and solidifying the oil. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a plant-based butter-like composition can be obtained that can replace butter, has butter-like physical properties with good shape retention, and melts easily in the mouth. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the amount of emulsifier used can be reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, according to the production method of the present invention, a butter-like composition can be obtained by a simple cooling method without using a rapid cooling and solidification device such as a combinator or an onlator that is usually used in the production of margarine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0015] (Plant-based butter-like composition) In the plant-based butter-like composition of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes abbreviated as "the composition"), the term "butter-like composition" is used to mean a composition having similar physical properties to butter produced from milk. Here, "physical properties similar to butter" specifically refers to the property of being solid at room temperature and melting in the mouth. "Room temperature" usually refers to a temperature between 5°C and less than 30°C, and 10 to 28°C, which is closer to the room environment, and preferably 15 to 25°C. "Solid" refers to a state in which a certain shape and volume are maintained. "Properties of melting in the mouth" refers to the property of a solid substance melting at about 35 to 37°C, which is the temperature in the mouth, and may also be referred to as "meltability in the mouth". The butter-like composition of the present invention is more preferably a composition having a flavor similar to that of butter produced from milk. In the present invention, "plant-based" means that the composition is based on raw materials derived from plants. Specifically, the ratio of raw materials derived from animals in the butter-like composition is preferably less than 50% by weight, calculated as solid content, and more preferably 40% by weight or less, 30% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or less, 0.2% by weight or less, 0.1% by weight or less, 0.05% by weight or less, or 0% by weight.

[0016] (emulsion) The composition is an emulsion mainly containing vegetable milk and solid fats and oils at 20°C. The emulsion form may be oil-in-water, water-in-oil, oil-in-water-in-oil, water-in-oil-in-water, etc., depending on the ratio of water and fats and oils. An emulsion form in which the continuous phase is an aqueous phase is preferred, specifically, oil-in-water and water-in-oil-in-water. Whether the continuous phase is an aqueous phase can generally be confirmed by the presence or absence of conductivity of the emulsion using a digital multimeter or the like. Here, the emulsion may be in a completely uniform and stable emulsion state, or may be in a state in which the emulsion is partially broken, for example, the oil phase particles are partially coarsened.

[0017] (Plant milk) The composition at least contains plant milk. "Plant-based milk" is milk prepared from a plant that contains protein and preferably fat, and can be in liquid or powder form. In order to stabilize the emulsion of the O / W type emulsion, it is more preferable that the plant milk further contains phospholipids such as lecithin. The term "milk" is interpreted as "emulsion or its dried product" in a broader sense than cow's milk. Examples of the plant include milk based on nuts and seeds such as soybeans, peas, chickpeas, mung beans, peanuts, coconuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, candlenuts, Brazil nuts, hickory, pistachios, rapeseed, castor, cottonseed, flaxseed, sesame, lupine, safflower, avocado, palm kernel, sunflower, shea nuts, and legumes, but are not limited thereto. The plant milk may be milk prepared from a plurality of the above plants. In one embodiment, the plant milk may be selected from soybean milk, coconut milk, and almond milk.

[0018] Soy milk Among the plant milks, soy milks are soy milk and similar products, and include not only regular soy milk, but also whole soy milk obtained without separating okara, soy milk cream, etc. In particular, soy milk cream contains a large amount of polar lipids such as lecithin derived from the raw materials, and can further stabilize the emulsification of the plant-based butter-like composition of the present invention.

[0019] Soy milk cream Soymilk cream refers to a product having a higher lipid content than soymilk, and may be called a "soybean emulsion composition" or "high-fat soymilk". In general, fresh cream is produced by separating it from milk using a centrifuge. Similarly, soymilk cream may be obtained by, for example, treating soymilk obtained from whole soybeans with enzymatic hydrolysis, mineral addition, etc., as necessary, and then centrifuging the soymilk to produce a low-gravity, oil-rich cream layer, but the method for producing the soymilk cream is not particularly limited. For example, the method for producing a soybean emulsion composition described in JP-A-2012-16348, or the methods described in JP-A-2009-528847, WO-2002 / 26788, JP-A-2002-101820, JP-A-11-56248, JP-A-2011-147394, etc. may be used. The lipid content of the soy milk cream is preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, based on the dry matter. The upper limit is preferably 75% by mass or less, more preferably 70% by mass or less. The protein content of the soy milk cream is preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, based on the dry matter. The upper limit is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less. The lipid / protein content ratio of the soy milk cream is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 1.2 or more, 1.5 or more, or 1.8 or more. A more preferred embodiment of the soy milk cream is one in which the "lipophilic protein" of the soy protein is concentrated, in order to have a richer flavor and a good soybean-derived flavor. As such a soy protein raw material, for example, the soy emulsion composition described in JP 2012-16348 A can be used. An index as to whether or not the lipophilic protein is concentrated can be estimated by determining the LCI value (Lipophilic Proteins Content Index) described in the publication. In the present invention, it is more preferable to use a soy milk cream in which the lipophilic protein is concentrated and has an LCI value of 50% or more, preferably 55% or more. As a commercially available soy milk cream with an LCI value of 55% or more, for example, "Kokurimu" (registered trademark) manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. can be used.

[0020] (vegetable oil) The composition is characterized in that it contains a vegetable oil having an upward melting point of 20° C. or higher. In one embodiment, the upward melting point can be 21° C. or higher, 22° C. or higher, 23° C. or higher, 24° C. or higher, 25° C. or higher, 26° C. or higher, 27° C. or higher, 28° C. or higher, 29° C. or higher, or 30° C. or higher. In another embodiment, the upward melting point can be 50° C. or lower, 45° C. or lower, 40° C. or lower, 37° C. or lower, 36° C. or lower, 35° C. or lower, 34° C. or lower, 33° C. or lower, or 32° C. or lower. The composition containing the oil or fat is required to maintain a solid state at least at room temperature of 20°C or less, and as long as this is the case, any type of oil or fat may be used in combination, and the composition may contain a vegetable oil or fat having an upward melting point of less than 20°C. The oils and fats are not particularly limited as long as they are vegetable oils and fats, and for example, one or more vegetable oils and fats such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, safflower oil, olive oil, kapok oil, sesame oil, evening primrose oil, palm oil, shea butter, monkey fat, cacao butter, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc. Also, processed oils and fats obtained by subjecting one or more mixed oils of the vegetable oils to extreme hardening, fractionation, interesterification, etc., can be used, and may be in the form of a shortening product.

[0021] In the selection of the above-mentioned oils and fats, it is more preferable that the oils and fats have a low content of trans fatty acids or are free of trans fatty acids. In this case, instead of using partially hydrogenated oils, unrefined solid oils and fats such as palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc., or the hard parts of fractionated oils and fats such as palm stearin, etc. can be used.

[0022] (Water, other aqueous ingredients) In addition to the plant milk, the present composition may contain water or aqueous raw materials in some embodiments. Examples of aqueous raw materials include flavor raw materials such as sugars such as syrup, dextrin, water-soluble dietary fiber, salts, fruit juice, seasonings, yeast extract, matcha powder, and cocoa powder; nutritional supplement raw materials such as aqueous vitamins and aqueous proteins; and raw materials that can be dissolved in water such as aqueous flavorings, hydrophilic emulsifiers, and thickening polysaccharides. The water content in the present composition is not particularly limited, but the total amount including the water derived from the plant milk, the water added separately, and the aqueous raw materials is preferably 20 to 45% by weight, more preferably 25 to 35% by weight. The composition may also contain dairy ingredients such as milk or cream, but the proportion of such ingredients in terms of solids is preferably 10% by weight or less, and more preferably 8% by weight or less, 6% by weight or less, 4% by weight or less, 2% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or less, 0.2% by weight or less, 0.1% by weight or less, 0.05% by weight or less, or 0% by weight.

[0023] (Oil-based raw material) The composition may contain other oil-based ingredients in addition to the vegetable oil, such as oil-based flavorings, oil-based fragrances, chocolate, fat-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble colorants, and insoluble fibers. In addition, animal fats such as milk fat, beef tallow, lard, fish oil, and whale oil can also be used in the present composition as part of a mixed oil or processed oil, but it is appropriate for a plant-based butter-like composition that the amount of such fats and oils is 20% by weight or less, preferably 10% by weight or less, more preferably 5% by weight or less, and most preferably 0% by weight, of the total fats and oils. The plant-based butter-like composition of the present invention may also contain a hydrophilic emulsifier or a lipophilic emulsifier, the proportion of which in the composition is preferably 2% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, or 0% by weight (emulsifier-free).

[0024] (composition) (a) Protein content from plant milk The content of the plant milk-derived protein in the composition (referred to as "A" in weight percent) is preferably at least 0.7 weight percent, at least 0.8 weight percent, at least 1 weight percent, or at least 1.2 weight percent, as a lower limit, and may be at most 3.5 weight percent, at most 3 weight percent, at most 2.5 weight percent, or at most 2 weight percent. If the A value is too low, the proportion of solid fat will be too high, resulting in incomplete emulsification, easy separation of fat, and a waxy, hard texture that tends to be difficult to dissolve in the mouth.On the other hand, if the A value is too high, the aqueous phase will be too high, resulting in a creamy texture with fluidity that tends to be difficult to solidify at room temperature.

[0025] (b) The weight ratio of fat to nonfat solids and water. In the present invention, the term "non-fat solids" refers to the content of the solids contained in the composition excluding fats and oils. In addition, in the present invention, the term "fat and oil content" refers to the total fat and oil content derived from vegetable milk, vegetable oils and fats, and other oily raw materials. The weight ratio of the fat and oil content to the total amount of non-fat solids and water in the composition (referred to as "B") is preferably 1.2 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.8 or more, or 2.3 or more as a lower limit, and may be 5 or less, 4.5 or less, or 4 or less as an upper limit. That is, the present composition is characterized by being an emulsion containing more oil phase than water phase. If the B value is too low, the aqueous phase will be too high, resulting in a creamy texture with fluidity that will be difficult to solidify at room temperature. Conversely, if the B value is too high, the proportion of solid fat will be too high, resulting in incomplete emulsification and a tendency for the fat to separate.

[0026] (Manufacturing method) The manufacturing method of the present composition will be described. For example, vegetable milk and, if necessary, water or other aqueous raw materials are mixed to prepare an aqueous phase. Note that fats and oils derived from plants are included here, but are included in the aqueous phase here. Next, vegetable fats and oils and, if necessary, other oily raw materials are mixed to prepare an oil phase. Here, at least vegetable fats and oils that are solid at 20°C are used, so they can be heated to melt. In addition, the oil phase can be heated after being mixed with the aqueous phase even if it is in a solid state. For example, the oil phase can be added to the aqueous phase, and it is more preferable to add the oil phase while stirring the aqueous phase. After mixing, the mixture is homogenized with a homogenizer or homomixer to emulsify, thereby obtaining an emulsion. If necessary, after adding the emulsion, aqueous raw materials such as fruit juice and syrup may be further mixed and homogenized. The obtained emulsion is cooled to make it solid, and the present composition can be obtained.

[0027] (How to use) The composition can be used in the same manner as butter, for example, as a substitute for butter cream, a spread for bread, an ingredient for kneading bread dough, a roll-in ingredient for pastries such as croissants, and a solid seasoning for cooking. EXAMPLES

[0028] The following examples and comparative examples are provided to more specifically illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. In the examples, "%" and "parts" refer to "% by weight" and "parts by weight" unless otherwise specified.

[0029] Example 1 Commercially available soy milk (solid content: 10.5%, protein content: 4.5%, lipid content: 3.0%) was used as the vegetable milk. To 75 g of this soy milk (liquid temperature 40° C.), 0.6 g of rock salt was added to prepare the aqueous phase. While stirring the aqueous phase with a hand mixer, 225 g of coconut oil, which has an upward melting point of about 25° C., was heated to 40° C. and melted, and then gradually added to prepare an emulsion. The resulting emulsion was cooled overnight in a refrigerator at 4° C. to obtain a solid composition. The composition had a protein content (A value) derived from vegetable milk of 1.13%, a total amount of non-fat solids and moisture derived from vegetable milk of 24.25%, vegetable oil and fats derived from vegetable milk of 75.75%, and a B value of 3.12. Regarding whether the composition was in a butter-like state, a quality evaluation was carried out using the following two evaluation items A and B.

[0030] (Quality evaluation items) A. After leaving the composition in an atmosphere at room temperature (20°C) for 1 hour, does it visually appear solid? (a) When the refrigerated composition is placed in the mouth, does it melt like butter due to body heat and can it be recognized as having a butter-like texture? C. Conductivity

[0031] (Evaluation method) Three panelists who are experienced in evaluating the quality of butter and margarine were asked to evaluate items A and B on a 5-point scale by consensus, with the worst case being given a "1" and the best case being given a "5." A butter-like composition that received 3 points or more for each item was rated as passing. Regarding item c, the conductivity of the emulsion was confirmed using a digital multimeter (manufactured by Mother Tool Co., Ltd.).

[0032] As a result of the quality evaluation, the evaluation of item A was "4", and the evaluation of item B was "4", indicating that the butter-like composition was good.

[0033] Comparative Example 1 An emulsion was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that rapeseed oil, which has an upward melting point of less than 10°C, was used instead of coconut oil, and the emulsion was cooled overnight in a refrigerator at 4°C, but did not become a solid composition.

[0034] ■ Test example In addition to the soy milk used in Example 1, various commercially available vegetable milks shown in Table 1 and cow's milk for reference were used, and the mixing ratio of the vegetable milk as the aqueous phase and the palm oil as the oil phase was changed in various ways, and the total amount of the oil phase and the aqueous phase was adjusted to 300 g, the same as in Example 1, to obtain compositions in the same manner as in Example 1. The compositions of the various compositions obtained and the results of their quality evaluation are shown in Table 2. The amount of rock salt added is so small that it can be ignored in the amount of the aqueous phase.

[0035] (Table 1) Various plant milks TIFF2025061925000001.tif54154

[0036] (Table 2) Soy milk TIFF2025061925000002.tif90166

[0037] Test plots S-2 to S-4 were good as butter-like compositions. However, test plot S-1 did not become solid, and test plot S-5 had a lot of oil separation and was in a poor emulsified state.

[0038] (Table 3) Soy milk cream TIFF2025061925000003.tif90166

[0039] Test plots C-2 to C-5 were good as butter-like compositions. However, test plot C-1 did not become solid, and test plot C-6 had a lot of oil separation and a poor emulsified state. Overall, the butter-like compositions had better quality than the compositions using soy milk.

[0040] (Table 4) Almond milk TIFF2025061925000004.tif85152

[0041] Test group A-2 was a good butter-like composition. However, test group A-1 did not become solid, and test group A-5 had a lot of oil separation and was poorly emulsified. Overall, the quality was similar to that of the composition using soy milk.

[0042] (Table 5) Coconut milk TIFF2025061925000005.tif80152

[0043] Test group N-1 was a good butter-like composition. However, in tests N-2 and N-3, there was a lot of oil separation and the emulsification state was poor. Overall, the composition using soy milk had better quality.

[0044] (Table 6) Milk TIFF2025061925000006.tif80152

[0045] All of the test groups M-1 to M-3 were poor as butter-like compositions, and even when the blending ratio was changed, none of them had the butter-like quality of compositions using soy milk or soy milk cream. Fresh cream (35% oil content) was also tried instead of milk, but the results were similar.

[0046] From the results of Tables 1 to 6, all of the compositions evaluated as being butter-like had electrical conductivity. Therefore, it was shown that the emulsion form was an aqueous phase as a continuous phase, and was not at least a water-in-oil emulsion such as margarine or butter, or an oil-in-water-in-oil emulsion.

[0047] In this test example, coconut oil with a melting point of about 25°C was used as the type of fat. However, depending on the desired quality, a harder butter-like composition can be obtained by using fats with a higher melting point as appropriate.

[0048] ■ Example 2 (Application Example) A butter-like composition containing fruit puree was prepared according to the formulation in Table 7. The soy milk used in the test example (solid content: 10.5%, protein content: 4.5%, lipid content: 3.0%) was used as the vegetable milk. 75 g of this soy milk (liquid temperature 40°C) was stirred with a hand mixer, while 225 g of shortening with an ascending melting point of about 36°C was heated to 40°C to melt, and this was gradually added to prepare an emulsion. Powdered sugar and passion fruit puree were added to this, and the emulsion was stirred and dissolved with a hand mixer. The emulsion was cooled overnight in a refrigerator at 4°C to obtain a solid composition. The obtained solid composition had an A value of 0.86% and a B value of 1.38. The solid composition thus obtained was evaluated for quality, and was given a rating of "3" in item A, although it was a little soft, and a rating of "4" in item B, which indicated that the composition was of acceptable quality as a butter-like composition. The composition also had electrical conductivity.

[0049] (Table 7) TIFF2025061925000007.tif39148

[0050] The obtained butter-like composition was placed in a bowl, heated in a hot water bath, and adjusted to a viscosity that was easy to apply with a spatula, and then applied to a roll cake batter and rolled up the batter to obtain a roll cake. In this way, it could be used as a substitute for butter cream.

Claims

1. An emulsion containing vegetable milk and vegetable oil having an ascending melting point of 20°C or higher; and When the protein content derived from the vegetable milk is A% by weight and the weight ratio of the fat and oil content to the total amount of non-fat solids and water is B, the following conditions (a) and (b) are satisfied: (a) A=0.7-3, (b) B=1.2 to 5, A plant-based butter-like composition comprising:

2. The butter-like composition according to claim 1, which is solid at a temperature between 5°C and 30°C.

3. 3. The butter-like composition according to claim 1 or 2, which melts at mouth temperature.

4. 4. The butter-like composition according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable milk is soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk.

5. Use of the butter-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 as a substitute for buttercream.

6. Use of the butter-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 as a spread.

7. A method for producing a butter-like composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a vegetable oil having an upward melting point of 20°C or higher is mixed into an aqueous phase containing vegetable milk, emulsified and dispersed under heating, and then cooled to solidify.

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