Method for improving water dispersibility of powdery food

Abstract

To provide a method which enables powdery food to be easily dispersed in water.SOLUTION: A method for improving water dispersibility of powdery food comprises including a powder of a propylene glycol fatty acid ester in a powdery food in a powder state, the ester containing stearic acid or behenic acid as the constituent fatty acid. The ester is not particularly limited as long as it is a solid at room temperature and can be processed into a powder. However, there may be mentioned, for example, a monoester or a mixture of a monoester and a diester, with the monoester being preferable.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for improving the water dispersibility of a powdered food product. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a wide variety of powdered foods that can be easily consumed, and with the recent rise in health consciousness, there has been a surge in demand for powdered proteins that are expected to have muscle-building and beauty benefits. Powdered soups, which can be consumed immediately by simply pouring hot water over them, come in a wide variety of flavors and are popular with people of all ages. However, when such powdered foods are added to water or hot water for consumption, the wetted parts form a film that prevents water from penetrating the inside, forming lumps known as "mamako" (or "lumps") and preventing uniform dispersion.

[0003] Known methods for improving the water dispersibility of powdered foods include, for example, a method in which an aqueous solution containing diglycerol fatty acid ester is added to a high-protein powder composition containing a protein-containing powder and sugars, and containing 65% or more by mass of protein, followed by granulation (Patent Document 1), and a powdered or granular food characterized by containing triglycerol behenate (Patent Document 2).

[0004] However, since the above methods may not be able to sufficiently suppress the formation of "mamako", a new method for improving the water dispersibility of powdered foods has been desired. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-116494 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-021016 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for making powdered food easily dispersible in water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that when a powder of a propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid is directly added to a powdered food, the water dispersibility of the food is improved. Based on this finding, the present invention has been completed.

[0008] That is, the present invention comprises a method for improving the water dispersibility of a powdered food, which comprises adding a powder of a propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid to the powdered food in a powdered state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the method of the present invention for improving water dispersibility, the water dispersibility of a powdered food can be improved by incorporating a powder of a propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid into the powdered food in a powdered state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The powder of propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid used in the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention") is in powder form, and the particles constituting the powder include particles containing propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid.

[0011] The propylene glycol fatty acid esters whose constituent fatty acids are stearic acid or behenic acid are esterification products of propylene glycol and stearic acid or behenic acid. The esters are not particularly limited as long as they are solid at room temperature and can be processed into powder, but examples include monoesters and mixtures of monoesters and diesters, with monoesters being preferred.

[0012] Examples of the water-dispersibility improver according to the present invention include Rikemal PS-100 (trade name: propylene glycol monostearate; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) and Rikemal PB-100 (trade name: propylene glycol monobehenate; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), which are commercially manufactured and sold, and these can be used in the present invention.

[0013] The water-dispersibility improver according to the present invention may contain other optional components as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired, and may, for example, contain a food emulsifier, an antioxidant, etc.

[0014] Examples of the food emulsifier include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters (excluding propylene glycol fatty acid esters whose constituent fatty acids are stearic acid or behenic acid), and lecithin. Here, glycerin fatty acid esters include esters of glycerin and fatty acids, as well as glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters and polyglycerin fatty acid esters. Examples of glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters include glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, glycerin lactate fatty acid esters, glycerin citric acid fatty acid esters, glycerin succinate fatty acid esters, and glycerin diacetyltartaric acid fatty acid esters. Furthermore, examples of lecithin include fractionated lecithin, enzymatically decomposed lecithin, and enzymatically treated lecithin.

[0015] Examples of the antioxidant include tocopherol, L-ascorbic acid and its salts, L-ascorbic acid fatty acid esters, rosemary extract, catechins, enzyme-treated rutin, sunflower seed extract, grape seed extract, enzymatically hydrolyzed apple extract, BHA, BHT, TBHQ, and EDTA.

[0016] By adding the moisture dispersibility improver of the present invention to a powdered food, the water dispersibility of the powdered food can be improved.

[0017] Powdered foods to which the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention can be added are not particularly limited as long as they are made of powder, and include foods made of granules obtained by processing powders. Specific examples include protein-containing powders obtained by separating protein components contained in animals and plants (e.g., powders containing whey protein, casein protein, egg protein, soy protein, pea protein, etc.), powdered or granular instant soups (e.g., granular soups containing starch, such as instant corn soup), as well as powdered spices, powdered vegetables, powdered seasonings, etc. Among these powdered foods, whey protein-containing powders, soy protein-containing powders, and granular soups containing starch are preferred as targets for adding the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention.

[0018] When the powdered food is a protein-containing powder, the powdered food may contain, in addition to the protein, any other ingredients as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, flavorings, antioxidants, and other food ingredients.

[0019] There are no particular limitations on the method for adding the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention to a powdered food, and examples include a method in which the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention and the powdered food are uniformly mixed together to bring them into contact in their powdered state.

[0020] The amount of the water-dispersibility improver according to the present invention to be added to a powdered food varies depending on the type of powdered food and the purpose of addition, and is not uniform. For example, the amount is preferably 0.01 to 5.0 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 3.0 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the powdered food.

[0021] Powdered foods containing the water-dispersibility improver of the present invention have excellent water-dispersibility and can be easily dispersed in water, milk, soft drinks, etc. at low temperatures (5 to 10°C), high temperatures (80 to 100°C), or other temperature ranges.

[0022] The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0023] [Test Example 1] [Evaluation using whey protein powder] (1) Raw materials 1) Whey protein powder (product name: PROGEL800; manufactured by Friesland Campina) 2) Propylene glycol monostearate (trade name: Rikemal PS-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3) Propylene glycol monobehenate (trade name: Rikemal PB-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 4) Glycerin monostearate (trade name: Emulgy MS: powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 5) Glycerin monobehenate (trade name: Poem B-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 6) Triglycerin behenate (trade name: Poem TR-FB; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

[0024] (2) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 1) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 1 Propylene glycol monostearate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 1.5% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 1.

[0025] 2) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 2 Propylene glycol monostearate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 2.

[0026] 3) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 3 Propylene glycol monobehenate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 1.5% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 3.

[0027] 4) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 4 Propylene glycol monobehenate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 4.

[0028] 5) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 5 Glycerin monostearate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 1.5% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 5.

[0029] 6) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 6 Glycerin monobehenate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 1.5% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 6.

[0030] 7) Preparation of whey protein-containing powder 7 Triglycerol behenate was added to 100 g of whey protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 1.5% by mass, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain whey protein-containing powder 7.

[0031] (3) Dispersion test in milk A 200 mL glass beaker was charged with 140 mL of milk at 5°C, and 7.0 g of any of whey protein-containing powders 1 to 7 was floated therein. After standing for 10 seconds, the mixture was stirred with a spatula for 40 seconds, and then stood for another 10 seconds. The mixture was then passed through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm opening) stainless steel sieve and poured into a 300 mL glass beaker. A certain amount of coarse "mamako" particles that did not pass through the sieve remained on the sieve. An additional 100 mL of water was then poured into the sieve to wash away any milk adhering to the sieve and the "mamako" particles. After thoroughly draining the water from the sieve with the "mamako" particles, the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the sieve itself was subtracted from the measured mass to calculate the mass of the coarse "mamako" particles remaining on the sieve. A similar test was also performed on a control whey protein-containing powder (untreated product) that had not been subjected to the preparation described in (2) above.

[0032] (4) Evaluation of the effect of improving water dispersibility The above dispersion test was performed three times for each whey protein-containing powder, and the average mass of the "mamako" was calculated. Based on this average, the water dispersibility improvement effect was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good Average weight of "Mamako" is less than 5.5g ×: Poor "Mamako" average weight 5.5g or more

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034] As is clear from the results in Table 1, the whey protein-containing powders 1 to 4 of the examples of the present invention all had a smaller average mass of "mamako" than the control, demonstrating improved water dispersibility. On the other hand, the whey protein-containing powders 5 to 7 of the comparative examples had an average mass of "mamako" that was not significantly different from the control, and were inferior to the examples.

[0035] [Test Example 2] [Evaluation using soy protein powder] (1) Raw materials 1) Soy protein powder (product name: FujiPro E; manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) 2) Propylene glycol monostearate (trade name: Rikemal PS-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3) Propylene glycol monobehenate (trade name: Rikemal PB-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 4) Glycerin monostearate (trade name: Emulgy MS: powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 5) Triglycerin behenate (trade name: Poem TR-FB; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

[0036] (2) Preparation of soy protein-containing powder 1) Preparation of soy protein-containing powder 1 Propylene glycol monostearate was added to 100 g of soy protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to prepare soy protein-containing powder 1.

[0037] 2) Preparation of soy protein-containing powder 2 Propylene glycol monobehenate was added to 100 g of soy protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to prepare soy protein-containing powder 2.

[0038] 3) Preparation of soy protein-containing powder 3 Glycerin monostearate was added to 100 g of soy protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain soy protein-containing powder 3.

[0039] 4) Preparation of soy protein-containing powder 4 Triglycerol behenate was added to 100 g of soy protein-containing powder so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to obtain soy protein-containing powder 4.

[0040] (3) Dispersion test in milk 140 mL of milk at 5°C was placed in a 200 mL glass beaker, and 14.0 g of any of soy protein-containing powders 1 to 4 was floated therein. After standing for 10 seconds, the mixture was stirred with a spatula for 40 seconds, and then stood for another 10 seconds. The mixture was then passed through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm opening) stainless steel sieve and poured into a 300 mL glass beaker, 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 the "mamako." After thoroughly draining the water from the sieve with the "mamako" adhering to it, the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the sieve itself was subtracted from the measured mass to calculate the mass of the coarse "mamako" remaining on the sieve. As a control, a similar test was also carried out on a soy protein-containing powder (untreated product) that had not been subjected to the preparation described in (2) above.

[0041] (4) Evaluation of the effect of improving water dispersibility The above dispersion test was carried out three times for each soy protein-containing powder, and the average mass of the "mamako" was calculated. Based on this average value, the effect of improving water dispersibility was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 2. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good Average mass of "Mamako" is less than 3.0g ×: Poor "Mamako" average weight 3.0g or more

[0042] [Table 2]

[0043] As is clear from the results in Table 2, the soy protein-containing powders 1 and 2 of the examples of the present invention both had a smaller average mass of "mamako" than the control, demonstrating improved water dispersibility. On the other hand, the soy protein-containing powders 3 and 4 of the comparative examples had an average mass of "mamako" that was not significantly different from the control, and were inferior to the examples.

[0044] [Test Example 3] [Evaluation based on instant corn soup] (1) Raw materials 1) Instant Corn Soup (product name: Corn Soup; granular; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 2) Propylene glycol monostearate (trade name: Rikemal PB-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3) Propylene glycol monobehenate (trade name: Rikemal PB-100; powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 4) Glycerin monostearate (trade name: Emulgy MS: powder; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

[0045] (2) Preparation of instant corn soup 1) Preparation of instant corn soup 1 Propylene glycol monostearate was added to 100 g of instant corn soup so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to prepare instant corn soup 1.

[0046] 2) Preparation of instant corn soup 2 Propylene glycol monobehenate was added to 100 g of instant corn soup so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to prepare instant corn soup 2.

[0047] 3) Preparation of instant corn soup 3 Glycerin monostearate was added to 100 g of instant corn soup so that the amount added was 3.0 mass %, and the mixture was thoroughly mixed in a plastic bag to prepare instant corn soup 3.

[0048] (3) Dispersion test in hot water A 200 mL glass beaker was charged with 15.0 g of any of instant corn soups 1 to 3, followed by 100 mL of boiling water. After allowing to stand for 5 seconds, the mixture was stirred with a spatula for 15 seconds, allowed to stand for another 60 seconds, and then poured into a 300 mL glass beaker while passing it through a 14 mesh (1.18 mm opening) stainless steel sieve. A certain amount of coarse "mamako" particles that did not pass through the sieve remained on the sieve. After thoroughly draining the water from the sieve with the "mamako" particles attached, the mass of the sieve was measured, and the mass of the coarse "mamako" particles remaining on the sieve was calculated by subtracting the mass of the sieve itself from the measured mass. A similar test was also performed on an untreated instant corn soup that had not been prepared as described in (2) above.

[0049] (4) Evaluation of the effect of improving hot water dispersibility The above dispersion test was carried out three times for each instant corn soup, and the average mass of "Mamako" was calculated. Based on this average value, the effect of improving water dispersibility was evaluated using a symbol according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 3. [Symbolization Standards] ○: Good Average weight of "Mamako" is less than 3.5g ×: Poor "Mamako" average weight 3.5g or more

[0050] [Table 3]

[0051] As is clear from the results in Table 3, the average mass of "mamako" in instant corn soups 1 and 2 of the present invention was smaller than that of the control, demonstrating an improved water dispersibility. On the other hand, the average mass of "mamako" in instant corn soup 3 of the comparative example was not significantly different from that of the control, and was inferior to those of the examples.

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for improving the water dispersibility of a powdered food, comprising adding a powder of a propylene glycol fatty acid ester whose constituent fatty acid is stearic acid or behenic acid to the powdered food in a powdered state.

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