Frosting inhibitor

Abstract

To provide a frosting inhibitor for Western-style confectionery that is eaten after being frozen and thawed and / or Western-style confectionery that is frozen and eaten, the inhibitor being contained when producing the Western-style confectionery so that frosting on the Western-style confectionery when frozen can be prevented.SOLUTION: It was found that by the present invention, it is possible to provide a frosting inhibitor for Western-style confectionery that is eaten after being frozen and thawed and / or Western-style confectionery that is frozen and eaten, the inhibitor being contained when producing the Western-style confectionery so that frosting on the Western-style confectionery when frozen can be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frost suppressant. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, sales of frozen foods have been increasing amid calls to reduce food waste and labor costs, and among these frozen foods, demand for frozen sweets is on the rise.

[0003] Frozen sweets include Western-style sweets that are eaten frozen, Western-style sweets that are frozen and then thawed, and baked sweets. Frozen sweets are considered to be one of the important factors that increase consumer purchasing desire if they maintain their appearance, texture, and flavor from the time they are displayed on the freezer shelf until they are thawed.

[0004] Research has been conducted to date on how to maintain the texture and physical properties of frozen foods after thawing, and various methods have been developed to prevent freezer burn, which is a deterioration in quality during freezing. Patent documents 1 to 3, for example, are patent applications relating to preventing freezer burn in frozen foods. Patent document 1 describes a "method for preventing freezer burn in frozen foods." Patent document 2 describes a "freezer burn inhibitor for frozen noodles, containing an oil or fat, the melting point of which is in the range of 5°C or higher and 30°C or lower." Patent document 3 describes a "method for producing frozen noodles, comprising the steps of applying a treatment liquid containing gum arabic to the surface of cooked noodles, and freezing the noodles with the treatment liquid applied thereto." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-255453 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-34445 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2022 / 210815 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As demand for frozen foods expands, food quality may deteriorate during thawing or frozen storage. In the case of Western-style confectionery and other sweets, there is an increasing number of products that are frozen and then thawed before eating, or frozen and eaten without thawing, and quality deterioration may occur during the freezing process. In particular, in Western-style confectionery, which contains a high moisture content, the moisture in the confectionery may form frost on the surface, which can deteriorate the appearance and texture of the confectionery.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an agent for inhibiting frosting in Western-style confectionery, which can be incorporated into Western-style confectionery that is frozen and then thawed before eating and / or frozen confectionery that is eaten, during the production of Western-style confectionery, thereby inhibiting frosting in Western-style confectionery when frozen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into the possibility of further expanding the market for Western-style fresh confections that are frozen and then thawed before eating and / or frozen-style fresh confections that are eaten frozen, if it is possible to prevent frosting on the surface of the confections during freezing. As a result, they have solved the above-mentioned problems by adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to the Western-style fresh confections, and have completed the present invention.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 provides a solution by "providing a liquid in which sugar components consisting of one or more monosaccharides or disaccharides are dissolved and freezing the liquid on the surface of a food product," and was therefore not useful as a reference for completing the present invention. Patent Document 2 describes "an agent for preventing freezer burn in frozen noodles, which contains an oil or fat, and which has a melting point in the range of 5°C or higher and 30°C or lower," which differs from the solution provided by the present invention and was therefore not useful as a reference for completing the present invention. Patent Document 3 describes a method of "applying a treatment liquid containing gum arabic," and does not mention the use of insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides, as in the present invention, and was therefore not useful as a reference for completing the present invention.

[0010] That is, the present invention is (1) A freeze-thaw inhibitor for Western-style confectionery, containing insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides; (2) A method for producing frozen Western confectionery, which comprises adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to Western confectionery dough; (3) A method for suppressing frosting on Western-style confectionery, comprising adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to the dough of Western-style confectionery; It is related to. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, by incorporating the frosting inhibitor of the present invention into Western-style confectionery that is frozen and then thawed before eating and / or Western-style confectionery that is frozen and eaten, during production, it is possible to provide Western-style confectionery that is inhibited from frosting when frozen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] ■ Western sweets The Western-style confectionery of the present invention is a Western-style confectionery that undergoes a freezing process after production, such as a Western-style confectionery that is frozen and then thawed before eating and / or a Western-style confectionery that is frozen and eaten, and frosting is suppressed by containing the insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide of the present invention. Western-style confectionery specifically contains water, and examples include mousse, jelly, cakes such as shortcake, chocolate cake, and cheesecake, cup desserts topped with whipped cream such as parfaits, bavarois, and tarts. In the present invention, mousse or bavarois is preferred, and mousse is particularly preferred. The effect is particularly pronounced in Western-style confectionery that contains a high water content, such as mousse.

[0013] ■ Moisture content of Western-style sweets The Western-style confectionery of the present invention preferably contains 35 to 68% by mass of water, more preferably 40 to 65% by mass, even more preferably 45 to 63% by mass, and most preferably 50 to 63% by mass. According to the 2020 edition of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th edition, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), the moisture content of shortcake is 35.0% by mass, the moisture content of cheesecake is 43.1 to 46.1% by mass, the moisture content of tart is 50.3% by mass, and the moisture content of bavarois is 60.9% by mass. Western-style confectionery has a high moisture content of 35 to 68% by mass, which means that when frozen, the moisture in the confectionery rises to the surface, causing frost to form. However, by including insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides in the confectionery, frosting on the surface of the confectionery when frozen can be prevented.

[0014] ■An agent to prevent frosting on Western-style confectionery The agent for inhibiting frosting on Western-style confectionery of the present invention contains insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides and can inhibit frosting on the surface of Western-style confectionery during freezing. The content of insoluble dietary fiber and / or tremella fuciformis polysaccharides used in the freeze-frosting inhibitor for Western-style confectionery in the present invention is preferably 50% by mass or more of the solid content, and more preferably 60% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 75% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 85% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. The form of the agent for preventing frosting on Western-style confectionery of the present invention is not limited, and it can be used in the form of liquid, powder, granules, etc. Details are explained below.

[0015] ■ Insoluble dietary fiber The insoluble dietary fiber in the present invention can be any fiber that can be used in foods, without any particular limitations. Examples of insoluble dietary fiber include soybean and other legume okara, chitosan, cellulose, hemicellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, glucan, lignin, wheat bran, wheat germ, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. The insoluble dietary fiber may be a commercially available product, such as the insoluble dietary fiber "Pine Starch RT" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Insoluble dietary fiber can also be extracted from plants and used. For example, insoluble soybean dietary fiber can be extracted from soybean raw materials, and the resulting dried insoluble soybean dietary fiber can be used. Also, soymilk containing okara (bean curd refuse), which is prepared so that dietary fiber is contained during the soymilk production process, can be used. An example of soymilk containing okara (bean curd refuse) is the commercially available product "Soymilk Cream with Soybean Dietary Fiber" manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. The soymilk cream containing dietary fiber has a dietary fiber content of 2.5% by weight or more, a protein content of 25% by weight or more per dry matter, a lipid content (referring to the content as a chloroform / methanol mixed solvent extract) of 25% by weight or more, and a water content of 70% to 90% by weight. The insoluble dietary fiber may be in the form of a powder suspended in a liquid such as water or soy milk, or may be in the form of a powder.

[0016] ■ Manufacturing method for dried insoluble soybean dietary fiber An example of a method for producing the above-mentioned dried insoluble soybean dietary fiber obtained by extracting insoluble soybean dietary fiber from soybean raw materials will be described below. Insoluble soybean dietary fiber, a by-product of the process for producing soybean oil from soybeans, is hydrated, and then an alkali such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or calcium hydroxide is added to adjust the pH to 10 to 13. The product is then heated at 135°C to 180°C to obtain the heat-treated product. The pH can be preferably 10.5 to 13, 11 to 13, 10.5 to 12.5, or 11 to 12.5. The heating temperature is preferably 140 to 175°C. More preferably, it can be 140 to 170°C, 145 to 165°C, 145 to 160°C, 145 to 155°C, or 150 to 160°C. The heating time is preferably 20 to 300 seconds, more preferably 25 to 200 seconds, and even more preferably 25 to 150 seconds, 25 to 100 seconds, or 30 to 90 seconds. By setting the pH, heating temperature, and heating time within the above ranges, the defibration of the dietary fiber particles is promoted, and insoluble soybean dietary fiber that exhibits the effects of the present invention more significantly can be obtained. Thereafter, an acid such as hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, or citric acid is added as needed to neutralize the solution to a pH of 5 to 9, preferably a pH of 6 to 8. The neutralized solution is dried using a dryer such as a spray dryer or freeze dryer to obtain a dried product of heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber.

[0017] Furthermore, the obtained dried product of heat-treated insoluble soy dietary fiber preferably has a viscosity of less than 20 mPa·s as a 3% by mass solution before (a) homogenization. The viscosity is preferably measured at 10°C using a BM-type viscometer (TV-20 model, manufactured by Tokyo Keiki Co., Ltd.) with a No. 1 rotor at 60 rpm for 60 seconds. The viscosity before homogenization is measured after adding water to the dried product of heat-treated insoluble soy dietary fiber to make the solids content 3% by mass, and stirring with a stirrer bar at 160 rpm for 1 minute. The viscosity after homogenization is measured by adding water to the dried heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber so that the solid content is 3% by mass, and then homogenizing it once at 15 MPa using a high-pressure homogenizer (manufactured by APV). (b) The viscosity of a 3% by mass solution after homogenization once at 15 MPa is preferably 170 mPa·s or higher.

[0018] The upper limit of the viscosity of the 3% by mass solution before the homogenization treatment (a) is preferably 18 mPa·s or less. More preferably, it can be 15 mPa·s or less, or 13 mPa·s or less. The lower limit of the viscosity of the 3% by mass solution before the homogenization treatment (a) is preferably 0.01 mPa·s or more. More preferably, it can be 0.05 mPa·s or more, 0.1 mPa·s or more, 0.5 mPa·s or more, 1 mPa·s or more, or 2 mPa·s or more. The lower limit of the viscosity of the 3% by mass solution after the homogenization treatment (b) under the condition of a single homogenization at 15 MPa is preferably 180 mPa·s or more. More preferably, it can be 190 mPa·s or more, 200 mPa·s or more, 210 mPa·s or more, 230 mPa·s or more, or 250 mPa·s or more. Furthermore, the upper limit of the viscosity of a 3% by mass solution after homogenization under the above condition (b) (single homogenization at 15 MPa) is preferably 3000 mPa·s or less. More preferably, it can be 2800 mPa·s or less, 2600 mPa·s or less, 2400 mPa·s or less, 2200 mPa·s or less, 2000 mPa·s or less, 1800 mPa·s or less, 1500 mPa·s or less, 1300 mPa·s or less, or 1000 mPa·s or less. The lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner.

[0019] Furthermore, the particle size of the dried product of the heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber is preferably 30 to 100 μm. The lower limit can be more preferably 32 μm or more, 35 μm or more, 38 μm or more, or 40 μm or more. The upper limit can more preferably be 95 μm or less, 92 μm or less, 90 μm or less, 85 μm or less, 80 μm or less, 75 μm or less, or 70 μm or less. The average particle size of the dried product of the heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber of this embodiment is measured in a 1% by mass aqueous solution using a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer SALD-2300 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation).

[0020] The lipid content of the dried heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber described above is preferably 2% by mass or less, based on dry matter. More preferably, it can be 1% by mass or less, 0.8% by mass or less, 0.5% by mass or less, or 0.3% by mass or less. The lower limit can also be 0% by mass. Furthermore, the crude protein content of the dried heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber product of this embodiment, calculated on a dry matter basis, is preferably 50% by mass or less. More preferably, it can be 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 38% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less. The lower limit is preferably 0.1% by mass or more. More preferably, it can be 0.5% by mass or more, 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 18% by mass or more, or 20% by mass or more. The ash content of the dried heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber product is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, 13% by mass or less, or 12% by mass or less, on a dry matter basis. The lower and upper limits of the lipid content, crude protein content, and ash content can be combined in any desired manner.

[0021] ■ Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides The Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide used in the present invention can be one obtained using Tremella fuciformis as a raw material. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides can be obtained from the raw material, Tremella fuciformis, by methods such as water extraction or hot water extraction, heat extraction under acidic or alkaline conditions, or extraction by enzymatic decomposition, and commercially available products can also be used. In the present invention, for example, Tremelgum (registered trademark) manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd., which is a commercially available Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide, can be used.

[0022] In the present invention, the Western-style confectionery preferably contains insoluble dietary fiber in an amount of 0.05 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 4% by mass, and even more preferably 0.2 to 3% by mass, based on all ingredients of the confectionery. Furthermore, the Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide is preferably contained in an amount of 0.05 to 5 mass %, more preferably 0.1 to 4 mass %, and even more preferably 0.2 to 3 mass %, of all ingredients of the Western-style confectionery. Insoluble dietary fiber and Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides may be used in combination, and when used in combination, the insoluble dietary fiber and Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides are preferably contained in an amount of 0.05 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 4% by mass, and even more preferably 0.2 to 3% by mass, based on the total ingredients of the Western-style confectionery. The effects of the present invention can be achieved by adding a predetermined range of insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to Western-style confectionery having a moisture content within a predetermined range.

[0023] Examples are described below. In the following, "%" and "parts" mean "% by mass" and "parts by mass" unless otherwise specified. [Example]

[0024] Preparation of insoluble soybean dietary fiber Defatted soybean refuse (okara, 0.1% fat by dry weight), a by-product of soybean oil production, was watered to a solids content of 5%. The pH was adjusted to 12.0 with sodium hydroxide and then heated at 155°C for 60 seconds using a steam-blowing direct heating device. After heating, the pH was adjusted to 7.0 with hydrochloric acid and the mixture was dried in a spray dryer at an input temperature of 175°C and an exhaust temperature of 75°C to obtain dried product A (5% moisture content), a heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber. The viscosity of a 3% by mass solution of dried product A before homogenization was 6.4 mPa·s. After a single homogenization using a high-pressure homogenizer (APV) at 15 MPa, the viscosity of the 3% by mass solution was 716.0 mPa·s and the average particle size was 47.9 μm. This dried product A was used for subsequent studies.

[0025] ○Preparation of Western-style sweets (mousse) According to the formulation in Table 1, a mousse was prepared in a conventional manner by the following procedure. 1. Granulated sugar and bamboo charcoal were added to sweetened egg yolk, and milk heated to 60°C was added and mixed. 2. Gelatin that had been previously swollen with water and dietary fiber or polysaccharides were added to the mixture obtained in step 1, and the mixture was mixed while heating until the center of the pot reached 83°C. Note that in the reference example, no dietary fiber or polysaccharides were added. 3.7 minutes of whipped cream was added to the mixture obtained in step 2, which had been cooled to 20°C or below, and mixed until the specific gravity reached 0.7. 4. The mixture obtained in step 3 was filled into containers (circles with a diameter of 6 cm and a height of 4 cm) in an amount of 75 g each, and cooled at -40°C for at least 1 hour to obtain the mousses for each study example.

[0026] The raw materials used in the table are as follows: The commercially available Tremellus fuciformis polysaccharide used was "Tremel Gum" manufactured by Unitec Foods Co., Ltd. For insoluble dietary fiber A, dried heat-treated insoluble soybean dietary fiber A obtained in the "Preparation of insoluble soybean dietary fiber" section above was used (moisture content 5%, crude protein content 15%, ash content 10%, lipid content / dry matter: 0.1%). The method for producing the insoluble dietary fiber A is as follows. Defatted soybean refuse (okara, 0.1% lipid by weight, dry weight), a by-product of soybean oil production, was watered to a solids content of 5%. The pH was adjusted to 12.0 with sodium hydroxide and then heated at 155°C for 60 seconds using a steam-blowing direct heating device. After heating, the pH was adjusted to 7.0 with hydrochloric acid and the mixture was dried in a spray dryer at an input temperature of 175°C and an exhaust temperature of 75°C to obtain dried product A (5% moisture, 15% crude protein, 10% ash). The viscosity of a 3% by mass solution of dried product A was 6.4 mPa·s before homogenization. After a single homogenization using a high-pressure homogenizer (APV) at 15 MPa, the viscosity of the 3% by mass solution was 716.0 mPa·s and the average particle size was 47.9 μm. For insoluble dietary fiber B, we used the commercially available product "Pine Starch RT" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (dietary fiber content 75%). The water-soluble dietary fiber used was the commercially available product "Fibersol 2" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (dietary fiber content: 85%). Soy milk containing soybean dietary fiber is Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.'s "Soy milk cream containing soybean dietary fiber" (water 80.0%, oil 8.2%, protein 6.9%, carbohydrate 4.2%, dietary fiber 4.1%) was used.

[0027] Table 1.Composition (unit: mass %) TIFF2025146791000001.tif99165

[0028] Table 2. Composition (unit: mass %) TIFF2025146791000002.tif75161

[0029] Table 3.Composition (unit: mass %) TIFF2025146791000003.tif77162

[0030] <Method for measuring the amount of frost caused by freezing> The resulting mousse of each study example was removed from the ring, its mass was measured, and it was then packaged in a container (Fit Food Pack OP-570, manufactured by Denka Polymer Co., Ltd.) and further packaged in a plastic bag (New Plastic Bag 0.06 mm thick, manufactured by Fukusuke Kogyo Co., Ltd.). It was then placed in an incubator under temperature cycling conditions (1 cycle: 3 hours at -8°C, followed by 3 hours at 15°C) and subjected to a storage test for 17 days. After 17 days (67 cycles), the frost on the entire surface of the mousse was scraped off, and the mass of each study example was measured. The mass loss was taken as the moisture loss due to frosting. Tables 4 to 6 show the moisture loss rates.

[0031] Evaluation method The moisture content reduced by the above <Method for measuring the amount of frosting due to freezing> was compared with a reference example of a Western-style confectionery with the same moisture content, and those with the least moisture content were deemed to have suppressed frosting and were deemed to have passed the test.

[0032] Table 4. Moisture loss rate (unit: mass%) TIFF2025146791000004.tif26164

[0033] Table 5. Moisture loss rate (unit: mass%) TIFF2025146791000005.tif28155

[0034] Table 6. Moisture loss rate (unit: mass%) TIFF2025146791000006.tif27164

[0035] As can be seen from the results in Tables 4 to 6, the rate of decrease in moisture content was suppressed in Examples 1 to 10 compared to the Reference Example with the same moisture content. Furthermore, when visually inspecting the state of frosting, Examples 1 to 10 had less frosting and a better appearance compared to the Reference Example that did not contain insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides. Therefore, in Examples 1 to 10, by adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides during the production of Western-style fresh confections, it was possible to prevent frosting on the surface of the Western-style fresh confections when they were frozen.

[0036] From the above results, it has been found that in the present invention, by incorporating the frosting inhibitor of the present invention into Western-style confections that are frozen and then thawed before eating and / or Western-style confections that are frozen and eaten, it is possible to prevent frosting of Western-style confections when frozen.

Claims

1. An agent for preventing frosting of Western-style confectionery, which contains insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide.

2. A method for producing frozen Western-style confectionery, which comprises adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to a Western-style confectionery dough.

3. A method for suppressing frosting on Western-style confectionery during freezing, characterized by adding insoluble dietary fiber and / or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides to the Western-style confectionery dough.

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