Chocolate

Abstract

To provide chocolate exhibiting excellent heat resistance and suitable for use as soft chocolate for heating.SOLUTION: Chocolate containing 0.1 to 10 mass% of oat fiber. Heated chocolate obtained by heating the chocolate. Bakery food obtained by heating a combination of the chocolate and a bakery dough.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chocolate suitable for heating soft chocolate. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate is a type of confectionery that is widely loved by general consumers. Chocolate products come in a variety of textures, including hard chocolates such as chocolate bars, as well as soft, creamy chocolates. Soft, creamy chocolates are usually called soft chocolates. Soft chocolates have been proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 4, etc.

[0003] Furthermore, soft chocolate is often used in combination with bakery foods. When soft chocolate is used in combination with bakery foods, it is often heated together with pre-heated bakery food dough. When soft chocolate is heated together with pre-heated bakery food dough, the soft chocolate may become hard and crunchy after heating. Furthermore, when soft chocolate is heated together with pre-heated bakery food dough, the soft chocolate may soak into or bleed out of the bakery food after heating. In particular, white chocolate that does not contain non-fat cocoa solids is more likely to change in properties after heating, soak into or bleed out of the bakery food. Therefore, soft chocolate that is heated together with bakery food dough needs to be heat-resistant.

[0004] For these reasons, there has been a demand for the development of soft chocolate with good heat resistance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-4657 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-313582 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-115724 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-228641 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a chocolate that has good heat resistance and is suitable for use as a soft chocolate for heating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result have found that this problem can be solved by blending a specific amount of oat fiber into chocolate. This has led to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] That is, a first aspect of the present invention is chocolate containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of oat fiber. A second aspect of the present invention is the chocolate according to the first aspect, wherein the content of non-fat cocoa solids is less than 5% by mass. A third invention of the present invention is the chocolate according to the first or second invention, wherein the chocolate is a soft chocolate for heating. A fourth aspect of the present invention is the chocolate according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the chocolate is heated together with dough for bakery foods. A fifth aspect of the present invention is a heated chocolate obtained by heating the chocolate according to the first or second aspect of the present invention. A sixth aspect of the present invention is the heated chocolate according to the fifth aspect, wherein the heated chocolate is heated together with dough for bakery foods. A seventh aspect of the present invention is a bakery food obtained by combining the chocolate according to the first or second aspect of the present invention with bakery food dough and heating the resulting mixture. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chocolate that has good heat resistance and is suitable for use as a soft chocolate for heating. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention contains 0.1 to 10% by mass of oat fiber.

[0011] The chocolate of the present invention is not limited to chocolate as defined by the "Fair Competition Code for Labeling of Chocolates" (National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council) or other legal regulations. Chocolate in the present invention refers to a food product made from edible fats and sugars as main ingredients, with optional addition of cocoa components (cocoa mass, cocoa powder, etc.), milk powder, flavorings, etc., through chocolate manufacturing processes (all or part of the mixing process, pulverization process, refining process, molding process, cooling process, etc.), in which fats and oils form a continuous phase and which is substantially free of water. Chocolate in an embodiment of the present invention preferably has a moisture content of 3% by mass or less.

[0012] The chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention contains 0.1 to 10% by mass of oat fiber, preferably 1 to 8% by mass, and more preferably 2 to 7% by mass. When the oat fiber content in the chocolate is within the above range, the resulting chocolate has good heat resistance. In the present invention, "good heat resistance" of the chocolate means that when the chocolate is heated together with bakery food dough, there is little change in the properties of the chocolate and little oozing of the chocolate into the bakery food. In the present invention, the bakery food dough refers to a dough before heating, such as baking, obtained by kneading ingredients such as cereal flour, an oil and fat composition, sugar, dairy products, eggs, salt, and water. Oat fiber is a dietary fiber derived from the outer husk of oats. Commercially available oat fiber can be used. Examples of commercially available oat fiber include "OLPLUS OAT-MT50" manufactured by Organo Food Tech Co., Ltd.

[0013] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention contains fats and oils in an amount of preferably 30 to 60% by mass, more preferably 33 to 50% by mass, even more preferably 35 to 45% by mass, and most preferably 38 to 43% by mass. The fats and oils used in the production of the chocolate of the present invention are not particularly limited, as long as they are edible fats and oils generally used in the production of chocolate. Examples of edible fats and oils used in the production of chocolate include cocoa butter, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, shea butter, sal fat, illipe fat, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, milk fat, etc., as well as processed fats and oils (hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, interesterified oils) thereof, and fats and oils for chocolate such as hard butter and cocoa butter substitutes. Two or more of these edible fats and oils can also be used in combination. In the present invention, the term "fat" refers to the total fat content of all fats and oils contained in chocolate. For example, if chocolate contains cocoa mass, whole milk powder, and fat A, the fat and oil is a mixture of cocoa butter contained in the cocoa mass, milk fat contained in the whole milk powder, and fat A. That is, the term "fat and oil" in the present invention includes not only the fats and oils blended, but also fats and oils (cocoa butter, milk fat, etc.) contained in oil-containing raw materials (cocoa mass, cocoa powder, whole milk powder, etc.).

[0014] In the chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention, the solid fat content of the oils and fats in the chocolate is preferably 1 to 40% at 10°C, 1 to 25% at 20°C, and 0 to 15% at 30°C, more preferably 2 to 25% at 10°C, 2 to 20% at 20°C, and 0 to 10% at 30°C, and even more preferably 2 to 20% at 10°C, 2 to 10% at 20°C, and 0 to 5% at 30°C. The SFC of fats and oils can be measured in accordance with 2.2.9-2003 Solid Fat Content (NMR Method) of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Oils" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0015] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably contains carbohydrates. The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 30 to 70% by mass of carbohydrates, more preferably 35 to 60% by mass, and even more preferably 40 to 50% by mass. In the present invention, carbohydrates refer to carbohydrates excluding dietary fiber. Specific examples of carbohydrates include sugars, sugar alcohols (maltitol, xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, lactitol, mannitol, reduced starch syrup, etc.), starch, oligosaccharides, dextrin, etc. In the present invention, sugars refer to monosaccharides and disaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose, sugar (sucrose), lactose, maltose, etc.). In the present invention, carbohydrates refer to carbohydrates themselves and do not include carbohydrates contained in other raw materials (e.g., powdered milk, etc.). The carbohydrate used in the production of the chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably a sugar, more preferably sugar or lactose.

[0016] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably contains a dairy product. The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 2 to 30% by mass of the dairy product, more preferably 5 to 25% by mass, and even more preferably 5 to 20% by mass. Specific examples of dairy products include skim milk powder, whole milk powder, whey powder, and buttermilk powder. The dairy products used in the production of the chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention are preferably skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and whey powder, and more preferably skim milk powder and whey powder.

[0017] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention contains lecithins. The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably contains 0.3 to 4% by mass of lecithins, more preferably 0.5 to 2% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 1% by mass. In addition to lecithin, the lecithins according to the present invention include processed lecithins obtained by processing lecithin, such as lysolecithin and enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithin. The lecithin used in the production of the chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably lecithin.

[0018] The chocolate according to the present invention preferably has a non-fat cocoa solids content of less than 5% by mass, more preferably less than 3% by mass, and even more preferably less than 1% by mass. The non-fat cocoa solids in the present invention refer to the solids remaining after removing fats and oils and water from cocoa components such as cocoa beans, cocoa nibs, cocoa mass, and cocoa powder. The non-fat cocoa solids content in the chocolate can be adjusted by blending the cocoa components.

[0019] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention can contain ingredients commonly used in chocolate, in addition to oat fiber, fats and oils, sugars, emulsions, lecithins, and cocoa. Specifically, emulsifiers such as lecithins, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerol condensed ricinoleic acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and glycerol fatty acid esters, soybean flour, soy protein, processed fruit products, processed vegetable products, various powders such as matcha powder and coffee powder, gums, starches, antioxidants, coloring agents, and flavoring agents can be used.

[0020] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention can be produced by a conventionally known chocolate production method. The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is produced, for example, using raw materials such as fats and oils, sugar, and emulsifiers, through a mixing process, a micronization process (refining), a conching process, a cooling process, etc. The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably produced through a micronization process.

[0021] The chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably a chocolate for heating. The chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used by heating the chocolate itself. The chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention can also be used by heating together with dough for bakery foods. The chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably used by heating together with dough for bakery products. Methods for heating chocolate include baking, steaming, frying, and microwaves. The method for heating the chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably baking.

[0022] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for soft chocolate with good heat resistance. Therefore, the chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably soft chocolate. In this invention, soft chocolate refers to a soft chocolate that is plastic and has a creamy, custard-like texture at 25°C. Soft chocolate is also commonly called chocolate cream.

[0023] The chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably a non-tempering chocolate.

[0024] The heated chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is chocolate obtained by heating the chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, heated chocolate refers to heated chocolate obtained by heating chocolate. The heated chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is obtained by heating the chocolate itself. The heated chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention can also be obtained by heating chocolate together with bakery food dough. The heated chocolate according to an embodiment of the present invention is preferably chocolate heated together with bakery food dough.

[0025] The bakery food product according to the embodiment of the present invention is obtained by combining the chocolate according to the embodiment of the present invention with bakery food dough and heating the resulting mixture. Note that the bakery food product according to the present invention refers to a bakery food product obtained by heating bakery food dough. Methods for combining the chocolate and the bakery food dough include wrapping, rolling, mixing, gluing, covering, sandwiching, pouring, embedding, topping, etc. Methods for heating the chocolate and the bakery food dough according to the embodiment of the present invention include baking, steaming, frying, microwaving, etc. The method for heating the chocolate and the bakery food dough according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably baking.

[0026] Examples of bakery foods according to an embodiment of the present invention include baked goods such as biscuits, cookies, crackers, hardtack, pretzels, sliced ​​bread, wafers, sables, langue de chat, and macarons, butter cakes (pound cake, fruit cake, madeleine, baumkuchen, castella, etc.), sponge cakes (shortcake, roll cake, torte, decorated cake, chiffon cake, etc.), choux pastries, fermented sweets, Western sweets such as pies and waffles, sweet rolls, French bread, stollen, panettone, brioche, donuts, Danish pastries, and croissants. The bakery foods according to an embodiment of the present invention are preferably cookies.

[0027] The bakery food product of the embodiment of the present invention can be produced by a conventionally known method for producing bakery food products, except that the chocolate of the embodiment of the present invention and dough for bakery foods are combined and heated. The bakery food product of the embodiment of the present invention is produced by combining the chocolate of the embodiment of the present invention with bakery food dough, and heating the resulting mixture preferably at 140 to 210°C for 5 to 45 minutes, and more preferably at 150 to 200°C for 8 to 40 minutes.

[0028] In the bakery food product according to the embodiment of the present invention, the chocolate portion has good heat resistance. [Example]

[0029] The present invention will now be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0030] [Measurement method] The SFC of the oils and fats was measured in accordance with 2.2.9-2003 Solid Fat Content (NMR Method) of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Oils" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0031] [Chocolate production and evaluation] Chocolates with the compositions shown in Tables 1 to 4 were produced using a conventional chocolate production method (mixing, pulverization, refining, and cooling). All of the chocolates obtained were soft chocolates that were plastic, creamy like custard cream, and soft at 25°C. All of the chocolates obtained also had a moisture content of 3% by mass or less. Chocolate-filled cookies were produced by encasing 8 g of each chocolate in 12 g of cookie dough and baking in an oven (160°C) for 10 minutes. After baking, the chocolate-filled cookies were evaluated for chocolate properties and oozing into the cookies according to the following evaluation criteria. When the evaluation results for both chocolate properties and oozing into the cookies were rated as ◎, ○, or △, the chocolate was judged to have good heat resistance. The evaluation results are shown in Tables 1 to 4.

[0032] <Chocolate quality evaluation criteria> ◎: Maintains a smooth and soft state. ○: The oil is slightly removed, but it is soft and smooth. △: Still undercooked but some of the fat has evaporated. ×: The oil has been removed and the product is rough and flaky.

[0033] <Chocolate bleeding evaluation criteria> ◎: No bleeding. ○: Almost no leakage. △: A little bit of seepage. ×: Quite a bit of seepage.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] [Table 3]

[0037] [Table 4]

[0038] As can be seen from Tables 1 to 4, the chocolates of the examples had good heat resistance. On the other hand, as can be seen from Tables 1 and 4, the chocolate of the comparative example did not have heat resistance.

Claims

1. A chocolate containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of oat fiber.

2. 2. The chocolate according to claim 1, wherein the non-fat cocoa solids content is less than 5% by weight.

3. The chocolate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chocolate is a soft chocolate for heating.

4. The chocolate according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the chocolate is heated together with a bakery food dough.

5. A heated chocolate obtained by heating the chocolate according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The heated chocolate according to claim 5, wherein the heated chocolate is heated together with a bakery food dough.

7. A bakery food product obtained by combining the chocolate according to claim 1 or 2 with dough for bakery foods and heating the resulting mixture.

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