Saccharide composition for gummy candy, gummy candy, and production method of gummy candy

Abstract

To provide a saccharide composition for gummy candies, to be a raw material of gummy candies having remarkably high chewing properties, to provide gummy candies containing the saccharide composition, and to provide a production method of the gummy candies.SOLUTION: A saccharide composition for gummy candies is such that: a content of sugar with a polymerization degree of 1 in the saccharide composition is 30% or less: a content of sugar with a polymerization degree of 7 or more in the saccharide composition is 45% or less: and a content of branched sugar having α-1,6 bond in the saccharide composition is 50-75%. Gummy candies contain the saccharide composition. A production method of the gummy candies includes a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving in water the saccharide composition, and sugar excluding sugar contained in the saccharide composition.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sugar composition for a gummy candy, a gummy candy, and a method for producing a gummy candy. [Background technology]

[0002] Gummy candy is a type of soft candy that is characterized by its firm and elastic texture, and is widely eaten around the world because of its unique texture. In addition, the elastic texture can help train the chewing power, which can have effects such as promoting jaw development, preventing obesity, and stimulating the brain. In recent years, there has been a trend toward hard gummy candies that have a chewy texture while retaining their shape and having a certain degree of resilience (elasticity) when chewed, and chewy hard gummy candies such as "HappyCola" and "Gold Bear" manufactured by HARIBO are on the market. However, the manufacturing process for producing hard gummy candies that have a chewy texture while retaining their shape and having a certain degree of resilience (elasticity) is complicated, and it is difficult to reproduce this texture if manufacturing efficiency is prioritized.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a gummy candy containing a less digestible glucan made of a heat condensate of a starch hydrolyzate having a DE of 70 to 100 and / or a food processed product thereof. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-079670 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for gummy candies that have a chewy texture that allows them to be easily deformed while still retaining their shape and a certain degree of resilience (elasticity).

[0006] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a sugar composition for gummy candies that is a raw material for gummy candies having very high chewiness. Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a gummy candy having very high chewiness and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research in light of the above problems and have found that a specific sugar composition can be used as a raw material for the gummy candy. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

[0008] The present invention relates to a sugar composition for gummy candies, wherein the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 1 in the sugar composition is in the range of 30% or less, the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 45% or less, and the content of branched sugars having an α-1,6 bond in the sugar composition is in the range of 50 to 75%. The content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 35% or less.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a gummy candy comprising the sugar composition, a disaccharide other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water.

[0010] The present invention further relates to a method for producing gummy candies, comprising: a gelatin dissolving step of dissolving gelatin in water; a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition and disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition in water; a gummy liquid preparation step of mixing the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step; and a molding step of molding the gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The sugar composition for gummy candies of the present invention can be used as a raw material for gummy candies having extremely high chewiness. Furthermore, the gummy candies of the present invention have extremely high chewiness, and the manufacturing method for gummy candies of the present invention can manufacture the gummy candies. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a graph showing changes in breaking strength of gummy candies. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present invention will now be described in further detail. In addition, unless otherwise specified, "~" in a numerical range means from above to below, and both ends of the range are included. In addition, when a numerical range is indicated, the upper limit and the lower limit can be appropriately combined, and the numerical range obtained by combining them is also disclosed.

[0014] <Sugar composition> The sugar composition for gummy candies of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides and saccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more. Examples of the monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Examples of the saccharides having a degree of polymerization of 2 or more include disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, and trehalose, trisaccharides such as maltotriose, isomaltotriose, and panose, and tetrasaccharides such as maltotetraose and isomaltotetraose.

[0015] The content of sugars (monosaccharides) with a degree of polymerization 1 (DP-1) in the sugar composition is in the range of 30% or less, and the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization 7 (DP-7) or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 45% or less. If the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization 1 in the sugar composition exceeds 30%, the gummy candy made from the sugar composition becomes less chewy and loses its bite. On the other hand, if the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization 7 or more in the sugar composition exceeds 45%, the gummy candy made from the sugar composition becomes sticky and difficult to chew.

[0016] The content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 1 in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 25% or less. The content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 35% or less, more preferably in the range of 30% or less. In this case, the chewiness of a gummy candy made from the sugar composition as a raw material is improved. Furthermore, the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6 in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 40 to 50%, more preferably in the range of 45 to 50%. In this case, the chewiness of a gummy candy made from the sugar composition as a raw material is also improved.

[0017] Here, the content of each of the sugars having a degree of polymerization of 1, 3 to 6, and 7 or more in the sugar composition may be measured by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method described later. Furthermore, the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 2 (disaccharides) may also be measured by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method described later.

[0018] The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is in the range of 50-75%, preferably 52-70%. If the content of the branched sugars is less than 50%, the chewiness is reduced and the chewiness is not good. If the content of the branched sugars exceeds the range of 75%, tooth sticking occurs, which is not preferable. The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition may be measured by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method described below.

[0019] The sugar composition of the present invention may be purified from a natural product, or the sugar composition of the present invention may be produced from a linear glucan according to well-known techniques used for producing branched glucans.

[0020] The sugar composition of the present invention is not particularly limited in its production method, but can be produced cheaply and efficiently by allowing a glycosyltransferase to act on a starch hydrolyzate. Specifically, a glycosyltransferase is added to a 5-50% by mass aqueous solution of a starch hydrolyzate, and the reaction is carried out at a suitable pH and temperature according to the enzyme used. The reaction can usually be carried out at a pH range of 4 to 9, with a suitable reaction pH being in the range of 5 to 7. The reaction can usually be carried out at a temperature range up to about 70°C, with a suitable reaction temperature being in the range of 40 to 60°C. The amount of enzyme used and the reaction time are closely related, and the reaction time can be appropriately adjusted depending on the progress of the desired enzyme reaction, and the reaction is usually carried out for about 15 to 96 hours. After confirming the production of the target composition, purification such as filtration, desalting, and decolorization may be carried out as necessary, and the product may be concentrated or powdered depending on the product form.

[0021] Here, the enzyme having a glycosyltransferase activity is, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of α-glucosidase, 6-α-glucosyltransferase, dextrin dextranase, and cyclic maltosylmaltose synthase. The α-glucosidase may be, for example, one derived from Aspergillus niger or Acremonium sp.

[0022] When α-glucosidase is used as the enzyme having a glycosyltransferase activity, the amount of α-glucosidase added for the enzyme reaction can be 0.01 to 30 units per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. Here, 1 unit of α-glucosidase refers to the amount of enzyme required to hydrolyze 1 μmol of maltose per minute under the conditions of the method for measuring α-glucosidase activity described below.

[0023] The sugar composition of the present invention can be produced more efficiently by reacting a starch hydrolyzate with a combination of amylase and an enzyme having a sugar transfer activity, such as cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, α-amylase, and β-amylase.

[0024] Here, the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme may be selected from those derived from at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of Paenibacillus sp., Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus macerans. The α-amylase may be at least one selected from the group consisting of commercially available α-amylases, Kleistase L-1 and Kleistase T-5 (both manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.). The β-amylase may be at least one selected from the group consisting of β-amylase L (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), GODO-GBA2 (manufactured by Godo Shusei Co., Ltd.), Biozyme M, Biozyme ML, and Biozyme L (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.).

[0025] When a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme is used as the amylase, the amount of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the enzymatic reaction can be 0.1 to 10 units per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. Here, 1 unit of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme refers to the amount of enzyme required to produce 1 mg of β-cyclodextrin per minute under the conditions of the method for measuring the activity of β-cyclodextrin-forming enzyme described below.

[0026] When at least one selected from the group consisting of α-amylase and β-amylase is used as the amylase, the amount of the amylase used in the enzymatic reaction can be 0.0005 to 1 mass% per mass of the substrate (solid) from the standpoints of reactivity and production costs.

[0027] The sugar composition of the present invention can be produced by reacting a starch hydrolysate with a debranching enzyme in addition to amylase and an enzyme having a sugar transfer activity. It is preferable to react the debranching enzyme with the amylase and the enzyme having a sugar transfer activity on the starch hydrolysate.

[0028] Here, the debranching enzyme may be at least one selected from the group consisting of isoamylase and pullulanase, and in a more preferred embodiment, is at least one selected from the group consisting of isoamylase derived from Myroides odoratus, isoamylase derived from Pseudomonas amyloderamosa, and pullulanase derived from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

[0029] When isoamylase is used as the debranching enzyme, the amount of isoamylase used in the enzymatic reaction may be 10 to 1000 units per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. The amount of pullulanase among the debranching enzymes used in the enzymatic reaction of the production method may be 0.001 to 0.1 mass% per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reactivity and production cost. Here, 1 unit of isoamylase is the enzyme titer that increases the absorbance at 610 nm by 0.01 under the conditions of the method for measuring isoamylase activity described below.

[0030] The methods for measuring the activities of α-glucosidase, β-cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and isoamylase are as follows.

[0031] (α-glucosidase activity measurement) 20 μl of enzyme solution appropriately diluted with 10 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.2) containing 0.05% Triton X-100 is added to 80 μl of 0.25% maltose solution dissolved in 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.2), and kept at 37 ° C for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of reaction, 50 μl of reaction solution is taken out and mixed with 100 μl of 2 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) to stop the reaction. 40 μl of Glucose CII-Test Wako (manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) is added to this, and the mixture is kept at room temperature for 1 hour to develop color, and the absorbance at 490 nm is measured. The amount of glucose produced is calculated based on a standard curve of glucose prepared in the range of 0 to 0.01%.

[0032] (Measurement of β-cyclodextrin synthase activity) 0.1 ml of the enzyme solution diluted appropriately with water is added to 0.9 ml of 1% by mass soluble starch (manufactured by Nacalai Tesque, Inc.) solution dissolved in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), and the mixture is kept at 40°C for 10 minutes. 2.5 ml of 40 mM aqueous sodium hydroxide solution is added to the resulting reaction solution to stop the reaction. The amount of β-cyclodextrin produced is measured by the phenolphthalein method. Specifically, 0.3 ml of a solution consisting of 0.1 mg / ml phenolphthalein and 2.5 mM sodium carbonate is added to the solution in which the reaction has been stopped, and the absorbance at 550 nm is measured after stirring. The amount of β-cyclodextrin produced is calculated based on a standard curve of β-cyclodextrin prepared in the range of 0 to 0.1 mg / ml.

[0033] (Measurement of isoamylase activity) 350 μl of 5 mg / ml waxy cornstarch (manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) is added to 100 μl of 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.0) containing 20 mM calcium chloride, and the mixture is kept at 45° C. for 5 minutes, after which 100 μl of an enzyme solution appropriately diluted with the buffer is added and kept at 45° C. for 15 minutes. 500 μl of reaction quenching iodine solution (a mixture of 2 ml of a solution consisting of 6.35 mg / ml iodine and 83 mg / ml potassium iodide and 8 ml of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid) is added to the resulting reaction solution to stop the reaction. The resulting reaction stopping solution is kept at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then 10 ml of pure water is added to measure the absorbance at 610 nm of the resulting solution.

[0034] When preparing the sugar composition of the present invention by subjecting starch or its hydrolyzate to various enzyme treatments, the type, combination, amount, temperature, time, etc. of the enzymes used can be appropriately adjusted so that the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more and the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the total solid content of the obtained enzyme-treated product in the sugar composition of the present invention are within the desired range. For example, by extending the treatment time with the amylase, etc., an enzyme-treated product in which the amount of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more is sufficiently reduced can be obtained. In addition, by adjusting the amount of the enzyme having a sugar transfer activity, an enzyme-treated product in which the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is 50 to 75% can be obtained.

[0035] The sugar compositions 4 to 7 used in the Examples described below were produced by the above-mentioned method of allowing various enzymes to act on starch hydrolysates.

[0036] The sugar composition of the present invention obtained by the enzyme treatment may be fractionated as necessary. By fractionating the sugar composition after the enzyme treatment, the content of branched glucan having a desired degree of polymerization in the sugar composition can be increased, or the average degree of polymerization can be adjusted to within a desired range. There is no particular limitation on the method for carrying out the fractionation, and examples of the fractionation include membrane fractionation, chromatographic fractionation, and precipitation fractionation.

[0037] The sugar composition of the present invention may be a commercially available product, such as Nisshoku Panorich (trade name), Nisshoku Mild Oligo (trade name), Nisshoku Branch Oligo (trade name), etc., manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.

[0038] The chewiness of "Gold Bear" manufactured by Haribo, a hard gummy candy having chewiness, was measured by the following method and showed a positive value, so it is determined that the chewiness is higher as the positive value obtained by the following measurement method increases. For example, it is measured as follows. The breaking strength of the gummy candy is measured using a rheometer with a breaking strain rate of 300%, a load cell of 200 N, and a cutter back on the plunger, and the value is calculated by subtracting the first breaking load peak value from the second breaking load peak value.

[0039] <Gummy candy> The gummy candy of the present invention contains the sugar composition, disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water. Examples of the disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition include sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, trehalose, etc. The disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition may be contained in the gummy candy of the present invention as granulated sugar or white sugar.

[0040] The content of the sugar composition in the raw material of the gummy candy is preferably 5.0 to 50.0% by mass, more preferably 20.0 to 45.0% by mass, and even more preferably 30.0 to 45.0% by mass, calculated as solid content. The content of gelatin in the raw material of the gummy candy is preferably 1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 2 to 8% by mass, and even more preferably 4 to 6% by mass, calculated as solid content.

[0041] The gummy candy of the present invention may contain auxiliary ingredients used in the production of gummy candies, such as sweeteners such as high-intensity sweeteners (excluding the sugar composition and sugars other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition), fruit juice, pectin, starch, flavorings, colorings, acidulants such as citric acid, gloss agents, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

[0042] <How gummy candy is made> The method for producing the gummy candy of the present invention includes a gelatin dissolving step of dissolving gelatin in water. The method for dissolving gelatin in water is not limited to a specific method. For example, the method includes a method in which gelatin is swollen with water and then heated and stirred to prepare an aqueous gelatin solution.

[0043] The method for producing the gummy candy of the present invention includes a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition and sugars other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition in water, and a gummy solution preparation step of mixing the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step.

[0044] The auxiliary raw material may be dissolved in at least one selected from the group consisting of the aqueous gelatin solution, the sugar composition, and the sugar liquid, or may be mixed separately from these.

[0045] The method for producing the gummy candy of the present invention includes a molding step of molding the gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step. A mold made of cornstarch may be used as the mold used in the molding step. Furthermore, a coating oil may be applied to the surface of the gummy candy removed from the mold. EXAMPLES

[0046] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In this specification, when a ratio per "solid content" or a content ratio of "solid content" is mentioned, it means a ratio determined based on the mass of the solid component.

[0047] In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, various physical properties were measured or calculated as follows. <Difference in peak breaking load> The breaking strength of each gummy candy stored at room temperature was measured using a rheometer (REONER II CREEOMETER RE2-33005B, manufactured by Yamaden Co., Ltd.) with a breaking strain rate of 300%, a load cell of 200N, and a cutter back on the plunger, and the value was calculated by subtracting the first breaking load peak value from the second breaking load peak value. The higher this value, the higher the chewiness was judged to be.

[0048] <Composition analysis of sugars with each degree of polymerization> The compositional analysis of sugars of each degree of polymerization in the sugar composition was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0049] The sugar composition was used as a sample to determine the content of components with each degree of polymerization under the following HPLC analysis conditions (1). HPLC analysis conditions (1) The analytical column used was MCI GEL CK04S (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and the analysis was performed with ultrapure water as the eluent at a flow rate of 0.4 mL / min and a column temperature of 70°C. A differential refractive index detector (RID-10A manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) was used for detection. The content of each polymerization degree component was calculated from the peak area of ​​the obtained chromatogram.

[0050] <Analysis of branched sugar content with α-1,6 bonds> The content of branched sugars of three or more sugars in the sugar composition of the present invention indicates a value calculated as follows. First, the sugar composition was treated with β-amylase so that linear sugars with α-1,4 bonds could be sufficiently decomposed. The sugar composition treated with β-amylase was used as a sample and analyzed under the above-mentioned HPLC analysis condition (1), and the contents of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides were measured. Next, the sugar composition treated with β-amylase was used as a sample and analyzed under the HPLC analysis conditions (2) below, and the content of maltotriose in the trisaccharide was calculated from the ratio of the peak area of ​​maltotriose to the peak area of ​​the trisaccharide in the chromatogram. The trisaccharide content obtained under the HPLC analysis condition (1) was multiplied by the maltotriose content to determine the maltotriose content of the sugar composition treated with β-amylase. The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds of three or more sugars in the sugar composition was calculated by the following formula (1) using the contents of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and maltotriose obtained above. Content of branched sugars with α-1,6 bonds (%) = 100 – (monosaccharide content + disaccharide content + maltotriose content) (1)

[0051] HPLC analysis conditions (2) The analytical column was SHODEX NH2P-50 (manufactured by Resonac Co., Ltd.), and the analysis was performed at a flow rate of 1.0 mL / min and at room temperature using acetonitrile:ultrapure water = 75:25 as the eluent. A differential refractive index detector (Shimadzu Corporation RID-10A) was used for detection. The content of maltotriose was calculated from the peak area of ​​the obtained chromatogram. In addition, since the total content of DP-3 to DP-6 and DP-7 or higher in sugar composition 5 described below is 45.6%, and the branched sugar content is clearly less than 50%, the branched sugar content was not measured.

[0052] <Chewy> A panelist ate each of the gummy candies stored at room temperature and evaluated the chewing properties of each of the gummy candies according to the following criteria. -Evaluation criteria for chewiness- A: It has a strong chewy quality. B: Slightly chewy. C: Less chewy. D: Not chewy.

[0053] The sugar compositions used in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples were sugar compositions 1 to 7, which have the monosaccharide content, sugar content with a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6, sugar content with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more, and branched sugar content having an α-1,6 bond, as shown in Table 1 below. Sugar compositions 1 to 3 were produced as follows.

[0054] Sugar composition 1 Maltose syrup with a maltose content of about 80% (Nisshoku Hi-Maltose Syrup MC-80, manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) was adjusted to a concentration of 35%, and then α-glucosidase (Transglucosidase L "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.)) was added at 300 units per gram of solid content, and the reaction was carried out at a temperature of 55°C and pH 5.5 for 20 hours. The mixture was then purified and concentrated according to the usual method.

[0055] Sugar composition 2 A 30% (w / w) DE6.5 corn starch liquefaction liquid was adjusted to a temperature of 53°C and a pH of 6.0, and 0.3 units of cyclodextrin-forming enzyme from Paenibacillus sp. per 1 g of solids, 200 units of isoamylase from Myloides odoratus per 1 g of solids, 0.2 mg of pullulanase "Amano" 3 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) per 1 g of solids, 3.75 units of α-glucosidase (transglucosidase L "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) per 1 g of solids, and 0.06 mg of clystase L-1 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) per 1 g of solids were added and saccharification was performed for 50 hours. The mixture was heated to 80°C, and 0.15 mg of clystase L-1 was added per 1 g of solids and allowed to act for 1 hour. It was then purified and concentrated according to the usual method.

[0056] Sugar composition 3 A 30% (w / w) DE6.5 corn starch liquefaction liquid was adjusted to a temperature of 53°C and a pH of 6.0, and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme from Paenibacillus sp. was added to the liquid at 1 unit per solid, isoamylase from Myloides odoratus at 100 units per gram of solid, pullulanase "Amano" 3 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) at 0.01% per solid, and α-glucosidase (transglucosidase L "Amano" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) at 3.75 units per gram of solid, and saccharification was performed for 72 hours. The liquid was heated to 80°C, and clystase L1 (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) was added at 0.005% per solid, and the reaction was allowed to proceed until the iodine reaction disappeared. The liquid was then purified and concentrated according to the usual method. The cyclodextrin-forming enzyme from Paenibacillus sp. was prepared according to the description in Agr. Biol. Chem., 40(9), 1785-1791 (1976), and the isoamylase from Myloides odoratus was prepared according to the description in JP-A-5-227959.

[0057] [Example 1] 5 g of gelatin and 7.1 g of water were added to a heat-resistant bag, and the gelatin was allowed to swell overnight in a refrigerator. The resulting mixture was then placed in a thermostatic bath and the swollen gelatin was dissolved at 80° C. for 30 minutes (gelatin dissolving step). 52.7 g of sugar composition 1 (solid content 39.0 g), 35 g of granulated sugar, and 20 g of water were boiled down in a pot, and the resulting mixture was heated and stirred over medium heat using a Teflon spatula until the mass of the mixture reached 100 g (sugar solution preparation step). The bottom of the pan was cooled with hot water to cool the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step to 100°C, and then mixed with the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step and stirred for 1 minute using a spatula made of Teflon (registered trademark). Further, an aqueous citric acid solution obtained by dissolving 1g of citric acid in 1g of water, 0.15g of the first flavoring (grape flavor manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.), and 0.15g of the second flavoring (grape flavor manufactured by Takada Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were also mixed and stirred for 2 minutes using a spatula made of Teflon (registered trademark) (gummy liquid preparation step). The gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step was placed in a thermostatic chamber and left at 80°C for 10 minutes to obtain a deaerated gummy dough. 4g of the gummy dough was dispensed into a mold filled with cornstarch and molded by pressing, and the cornstarch was sprinkled on top of the dispensed gummy dough while sifting it with a tea strainer. The gummy dough was then solidified in an air dryer for 2 to 3 days until the water activity (AW value) of the gummy dough reached 0.65 to 0.70, and the resulting gummy candy was removed from the mold. The cornstarch adhering to the surface of the gummy candy was wiped off, and 0.3% by mass of coating oil was applied to the gummy candy. The breaking strength of the gummy candy coated with the oil was measured, and its chewiness was calculated (the value obtained by subtracting the first breaking load peak value indicated by arrow B from the second breaking load peak value indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1). In addition, a sensory evaluation was performed according to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria for chewiness. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0058] [Examples 2 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4] Gummy candies coated with oil were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 54.2 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 2 (Example 2), 52.0 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 3 (Example 3), 52.0 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 4 (Comparative Example 1), 52.0 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 5 (Comparative Example 2), 54.2 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 6 (Comparative Example 3), and 54.2 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 7 (Comparative Example 4) were used instead of 52.7 g (39.0 g solid content) of sugar composition 1. In addition, the measurement of breaking strength and the sensory test were performed in the same manner as in Example 1, and the evaluation of chewiness was performed. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] [Table 2]

[0061] The gummy candy of Comparative Example 1, which was made from a sugar composition containing sugars in which the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 1 in the sugar composition exceeds 30% and the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is less than 50%, the gummy candies of Comparative Examples 2 and 3, which were made from a sugar composition containing sugars in which the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is less than 50%, and the gummy candy of Comparative Example 4, which was made from a sugar composition containing sugars in which the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is less than 50%, had negative differences in peak breaking load values ​​and had weak or no chewiness.

[0062] On the other hand, the differences in peak breaking load values ​​of the gummy candies of Examples 1 to 3, which were made from sugar compositions containing specific sugars, were positive, and their chewiness was strong or somewhat strong.

Claims

1. 1. A sugar composition comprising: The content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 1 in the sugar composition is in the range of 30% or less, and the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 45% or less; The sugar composition for gummy candies has a content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the range of 50 to 75%.

2. 2. The sugar composition for gummy candies according to claim 1, wherein the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 35% or less.

3. A gummy candy comprising the sugar composition according to claim 1 or 2, a disaccharide other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water.

4. A gelatin dissolving step of dissolving gelatin in water; A sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition according to claim 1 or 2 and sugars other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition in water; A gummy liquid preparation step of mixing the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar liquid obtained in the sugar liquid preparation step; and The method for producing gummy candies includes a molding step of molding the gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step.

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