Plastic water-in-oil emulsified composition for food

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition that is substantially free of trans fatty acids, has a low saturated fatty acid content, and has an appropriate hardness.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a plastic water-in-oil emulsified composition for food having the following characteristics (a) and (b): (a) the softening point of the oil or fat is 5 °C or lower, (b) the maximum load at 5 °C is 25 gf or higher, and In addition, the present invention provides the above-mentioned plasticizing water-in-oil type emulsified composition for food having the following characteristics (c): (c) The content of saturated fatty acids in the fat or oil is 15% by mass or less SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition for food. [Background technology]

[0002] In plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions such as margarines, edible solid fats are usually used to impart a unique melt-in-the-mouth texture and plasticity. Conventionally, partially hydrogenated fats obtained by hydrogenating animal or vegetable oils have been used as sources of edible solid fats. Partially hydrogenated fats are solid or semi-solid fats whose melting point is increased by adding hydrogen to the carbon-carbon double bonds of unsaturated fatty acid residues in the fats and oils, thereby reducing the number of double bonds and increasing the proportion of saturated fatty acid residues. During the manufacturing process of partially hydrogenated oils and fats, trans isomers (hereinafter referred to as trans fatty acids) are produced from unsaturated fatty acid residues. These by-produced trans fatty acids are believed to increase the risk of developing various lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and lipid metabolism disorders, so many countries have established regulations on the labeling of trans fatty acids and restrictions on the use of partially hydrogenated oils and fats that contain a large amount of trans fatty acid residues.

[0003] Following the revocation of the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) designation of partially hydrogenated fats by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018, the use of partially hydrogenated fats as a solid fat source has decreased recently, and the use of interesterified fats as an alternative fat has increased. Since the solid fats in interesterified oils prepared from vegetable oils are derived from saturated fatty acids, the amount of saturated fatty acids required to impart the same physical properties as those obtained from partially hydrogenated oils tends to be large. However, there are many reports that consuming large amounts of saturated fatty acids increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke, so oils with a high saturated fatty acid content are avoided. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a technique for producing an edible plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition that is substantially free of trans fatty acids and has a low amount of saturated fatty acids.

[0004] The following techniques are known for producing plasticized water-in-oil emulsion compositions with reduced trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids. Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to a water-in-oil type plastic oil composition containing wax, in which the oil phase in the composition is 15 to 85% by weight and the wax content is 0.01 to 5% by weight.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses an oil and fat composition comprising (a) a triglyceride containing one or more behenic acid residues, and at least one of (b) a palmitic acid-linked monoglyceride fatty acid ester and (c) a stearic acid-linked monoglyceride fatty acid ester.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a composition having an oil-off reducing effect, which contains a saturated fatty acid-bonded monoglycerin difatty acid ester and a saturated fatty acid-bonded sucrose fatty acid ester, wherein the weight ratio of the saturated fatty acid-bonded monoglycerin difatty acid ester to the saturated fatty acid-bonded sucrose fatty acid ester is 0.5 or more and 7.5 or less when the saturated fatty acid-bonded monoglycerin difatty acid ester is taken as 1, and the fatty acid residues constituting the saturated fatty acid-bonded monoglycerin difatty acid ester contain 50 mol % or more of stearic acid.

[0007] Patent Document 4 discloses a water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition that contains 1 to 42 wt % of an oil-and-fat component and does not contain partially hydrogenated oils and fats, and that contains 1 to 5 wt % of interesterified oil and 0.1 to 1 wt % of wax, and in which saturated fatty acids account for 20 wt % or less of all the constituent fatty acids of the oil-and-fat component.

[0008] Furthermore, the following techniques are known for producing plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions with reduced trans fatty acid content. Patent Document 5 discloses a plastic oil composition characterized by containing 30% or more of an oil that is liquid at 20° C. and also containing the following components A and B: Component A: (i) a polyglycerol fatty acid ester having an average degree of polymerization of 4 or more, (ii) a content of saturated fatty acids having 16 to 18 carbon atoms in 100% of the constituent fatty acids being 80% or more, and (iii) an esterification rate of 60% or more; B component: glycerin fatty acid ester and / or extremely hydrogenated oil

[0009] Patent Document 6 discloses a water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition, wherein the oil content is 25 to 95 wt % and the water content is 5 to 50 wt % in the entire water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition; the content of emulsifiers having an HLB of 2 to 6 in the oil phase of the water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition is 5 wt % or less in the entire water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition; the content of emulsifiers having an HLB of 7 or more in the aqueous phase of the water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition is 0.01 to 10 wt % in the entire water-in-oil emulsified oil-and-fat composition; the trans fatty acid content is 5 wt % or less in the total fatty acids constituting the oil-and-fat; and the SFC (solid fat content) of the oil-and-fat at 30°C is 0.3 to 15.0%.

[0010] However, the compositions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 each essentially contain a wax, a specific triglyceride, a saturated fatty acid-bonded monoglycerin difatty acid ester, and a saturated fatty acid-bonded sucrose fatty acid ester. Furthermore, the composition shown in Patent Document 5 must contain polyglycerin as an oil-solidifying agent, and the composition shown in Patent Document 6 must contain an emulsifier with an HLB of 7 or more. These compositions aim to reduce the trans fatty acid content, but it is unclear to what extent the saturated fatty acid content can be reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-14786 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-88863 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6933882 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-154433 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-110975 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-137358 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition that is substantially free of trans fatty acids, has a low amount of saturated fatty acids, and has an appropriate hardness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] As a result of extensive research aimed at solving the above problems, the present inventors discovered that by including 0.1% by mass or more of an unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms, it is possible to prepare a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having an appropriate hardness, even when an oil or fat that is liquid at low temperatures and has a low saturated fatty acid source is used in the oil phase, and have thus completed the present invention. <1> A food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having the following properties (a) and (b): (a) The softening point of the oil is 5°C or less (b) The maximum load at 5°C is 25 gf or more. <2> Furthermore, it has the following characteristic (c): <1> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. (c) The saturated fatty acid content in the oil or fat is 15% by mass or less. <3> The composition contains 0.1% by mass or more of unsaturated fatty acid monoglycerides having 16 to 22 carbon atoms based on the total mass of the composition. <1> or <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <4> The composition contains 0.01% by mass or more of saturated fatty acid monoglycerides having 16 to 22 carbon atoms based on the total mass of the composition. <3> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <5> The oil content is 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less based on the total mass of the composition. <1> or <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <6> The softening point of the oil or fat (a) is 0°C or lower. <1> or <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <7> Virtually free of trans fats <1> or <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <8> The saturated fatty acid content of the oil or fat in (c) is 12.5% ​​by mass or less. <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. <9> It is for fat spreads, <1> or <2> 1. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, a food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having a suitable hardness can be provided, even when the saturated fatty acid and trans fatty acid contents in the oil or fat used are reduced. In particular, the composition can have a suitable hardness even when an oil or fat that is liquid at low temperatures and has a low saturated fatty acid content is used in the oil phase. Furthermore, the composition can have a suitable hardness without using wax, specific triglycerides, polyglycerol, emulsifiers with an HLB of 7 or higher, or the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention relates to a food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having the following properties (a) and (b): (a) The softening point of the oil or fat is 5°C or below. The softening point (sometimes referred to as SP) of the fat or oil in the food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention is 5°C or lower, and more preferably 0°C or lower. In the present invention, the type of fat or oil to be added so as to bring the softening point of the fat or oil into the desired range is not particularly limited. In addition to interesterified fats and oils, highly hardened oils, palm oil, coconut oil, etc. can also be used.

[0016] (b) The maximum load at 5°C is 25gf or more. The food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention has a maximum load (hereinafter sometimes referred to as TA) at 5°C of 25 gf or more, more preferably 80 gf or more. This is because a TA of 25 gf or more allows a certain hardness to be maintained during refrigerated storage. The maximum load at 5°C may be maintained within a desired range depending on the preference of each product, and for example, in the case of a fat spread, the range may be 25 gf or more and 1500 gf or less. The softening point and maximum load at 5°C of the food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention can be controlled by adding a certain amount or more of unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride and adjusting the amount of saturated fatty acid monoglyceride and the amount of solid fat added.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable that the food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention further has the following property (c): (c) The saturated fatty acid content in the oil or fat is 15% by mass or less. In the composition, the amount of saturated fatty acids in the oil or fat is preferably 15% by mass or less, and more preferably 12.5% ​​by mass or less.

[0018] (raw materials) The raw materials contained in the plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention will be described below. The composition is characterized by containing an unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms. The content in the composition may be any amount that allows stable emulsification, and is preferably 0.1% by mass or more based on the total mass of the composition. It is more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 1.5% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.8% by mass or less. The content in the composition is preferably in the range of 0.1% by mass to 1.5% by mass, even more preferably 0.3% by mass to 1.0% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5% by mass to 0.8% by mass.

[0019] Furthermore, the food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention preferably contains a saturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms in addition to the unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms. The content in the composition may be any amount that allows stable emulsification, and is preferably 0.01% by mass or more based on the total mass of the composition. More preferably, it is 0.05% by mass or more, and even more preferably, it is 0.1% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 1.5% by mass or less, even more preferably, 1.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably, it is 0.8% by mass or less. The content in the composition is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 1.5% by mass or less, even more preferably, 0.05% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably, it is 0.05% by mass or more and 0.8% by mass or less.

[0020] Examples of fats and oils that can be used in the food-grade water-in-oil plastic emulsion composition of the present invention include soybean oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, canola oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, rapeseed oil, refined rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, cotton oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, perilla oil, sesame oil, perilla oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, grape seed oil, peanut oil, macadamia nut oil, hazelnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, linseed oil, walnut oil, camellia oil, tea seed oil, mustard oil, rice oil, wheat germ oil, etc., as well as interesterified oils, fractionated oils, and extremely hardened oils thereof. Of these, fats and oils with low saturated fatty acid sources are preferred for use in the food-grade water-in-oil plastic emulsion composition of the present invention, and fats and oils that are liquid at low temperatures are also preferred. The oils and fats selected from the above-mentioned oils and fats may be blended so that the oil content (total amount of oil phase) is 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and even more preferably 35% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention. According to the present invention, it is possible to prepare a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having an appropriate hardness even when an oil or fat that has a low amount of saturated fatty acids and is liquid at low temperatures is used as the oil phase.

[0021] The food-grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention is preferably substantially free of trans fatty acids, where "substantially free" means that the content of trans fatty acids in the composition is less than 0.3% by mass.

[0022] (Other ingredients) The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention may further contain other ingredients as needed, as long as they do not increase the saturated fatty acid or trans fatty acid content. Examples of such ingredients include water, skim milk powder, salt, potassium chloride, gelatin, acidulants, sweeteners, pH adjusters, flavorings, colorings, vitamins, inulin, carrageenan, dextrin, modified starch, and water-retaining materials for inhibiting syneresis, all of which are commonly used in plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention does not contain wax or the like as in the prior art, is substantially free of trans fatty acids, and has a reduced saturated fatty acid content, while providing a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the desired hardness.

[0023] (Method for producing plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition) Next, an example of the method for producing the plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention will be described. (A) Raw material fats and oils (liquid oils, solid fats) are heated to above their melting point, for example, 40°C to 85°C, and an emulsifier (unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms and / or saturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms) is added and dissolved to prepare an oil phase. If necessary, emulsifiers such as glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and lecithin, pigments such as β-carotene, and oil-soluble vitamins can be added to the oil phase.

[0024] (b) Prepare an aqueous phase by adding and dissolving salt, dairy products such as skim milk powder, dextrin, etc. in warm water at approximately 40°C to 60°C.

[0025] (c) An emulsion is prepared by adding the water phase to the oil phase at a constant rate while stirring. The stirring rate of the oil phase and the rate of addition of the water phase can be appropriately adjusted depending on the amount of oil in the plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition so as to obtain a uniform emulsion.

[0026] (d) If necessary, a flavoring is added to this emulsion, and the emulsion, maintained at 50°C, is rapidly cooled to 10°C using a closed, continuous, scraping tube cooler such as a Combinator or Perfector, and then kneaded and crystallized. The crystallized emulsion is kneaded using a pin machine or the like to obtain a plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition. There is no time limit for steps (a) and (b), and either step may be carried out first, or both steps may be carried out simultaneously.

[0027] Examples of the food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention include margarine and spreads.

[0028] (Test Method) The test methods for the evaluation items specified in this specification are shown below. (Softening point (SP) measurement test) The softening point is also abbreviated as SP in the present specification, and the softening point (SP) of a sample oil or fat can be measured based on the softening point (ring and ball method) measurement method described in Section 2.2.4.3-2013 of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. (Maximum load (TA) measurement test) The maximum load, also referred to as TA in this specification, can be measured by the following test method: A sample is packed into a glass ring 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm in height, cooled on ice for 10 minutes, and then left to stand at 5°C. The sample is then placed in a texture analyzer equipped with a cylindrical probe 15 mm in diameter and 25 mm in height, and the maximum load is measured when the probe penetrates 80% of the height of the sample. (Measurement of saturated fatty acid content) The mass % of saturated fatty acid content in a sample can be measured based on the measurement method for fatty acid composition (FID temperature-programmed gas chromatography method) described in 2.4.2.2-2013 of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. (Trans fatty acid content measurement) The mass percentage of trans isomers in a sample can be measured based on the method for measuring trans fatty acid content (capillary gas chromatography) described in 2.4.4.3-2013 of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials" compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Association.

[0029] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0030] 1. Preparation of water-in-oil emulsified oil composition As shown in Tables 1 and 2, an oil phase and an aqueous phase were prepared so that the total mass was 100 kg. That is, the oil phase was prepared by mixing fats and oils (liquid oil, solid fat) with unsaturated fatty acid monoglycerides having 16 to 22 carbon atoms (represented as UMG in the tables) and / or saturated fatty acid monoglycerides having 16 to 22 carbon atoms (represented as SMG in the tables), followed by stirring at 80°C. In the tables, IE indicates interesterified fats and oils. The aqueous phase was prepared by mixing water and dextrin and stirring at 80°C. The oil phase and the aqueous phase were emulsified by adding the 60°C aqueous phase at 20 L / min to the 50°C oil phase stirred at 140 rpm. The resulting 60°C emulsion was rapidly cooled to 10°C in a sealed continuous scraping tube cooler and kneaded, and then kneaded in a pin machine while maintaining the temperature at 10°C. 200 g of the kneaded emulsion was filled into a plastic container to obtain plastic water-in-oil emulsions, Example Products 1 to 28 and Comparative Examples 1 to 10 (Tables 1 and 2). These were stored at 5°C. The trans fatty acid content of the obtained Example products was 0.3 g / 100 g or less based on the total mass of the plasticized water-in-oil emulsion composition. The saturated fatty acid content (referred to as SFA in the table) of the Example products was less than 15% by mass based on the total mass of the plasticized water-in-oil emulsion composition. In the table, the oil content refers to the total amount of the oil phase, i.e., the total amount (mass%) of the liquid oil, solid fat, and emulsifier.

[0031] 2.Evaluation Test 2-1. Softening point (SP) measurement test for fats and oils Samples were prepared on metal rings for SP under ice cooling, and the SP of the oils and fats was measured (n=4) at temperatures between 0°C and 20°C. SP was measured based on the softening point (ring and ball method) method described in Section 2.2.4.3-2013 of "Standard Test Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials," compiled by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. If the SP measurement value was 0°C or below, it was marked as "Good (0°C)", if it was 5°C or below, it was marked as "Good (5°C)", and if it was greater than 5°C, it was marked as "Poor (>5°C)".

[0032] 2-2. Maximum load (TA) measurement test The sample was packed into a glass ring 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm in height, cooled on ice for 10 minutes, and then left to stand at 5°C. The sample was then placed in a texture analyzer equipped with a cylindrical probe 15 mm in diameter and 25 mm in height, and the maximum load was measured when the probe penetrated 80% of the height of the sample (n=3). TA measurement values ​​(average values) of 25 gf or more and less than 80 gf were marked as "Good", 80 gf or more was marked as "Excellent", and less than 25 gf was marked as "Poor".

[0033] 3. Evaluation Results The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. (1) From the Examples and Comparative Examples, it was found that in plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions containing 0.1% by mass or more of UMG (unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride) based on the total mass, the SP (softening point) of the oil and fat was within the desired range, and the TA (maximum load) of the composition was also within the desired range. On the other hand, when no UMG was present or the UMG content was less than 0.1% by mass (Comparative Examples 1 to 5), the SP of the oil and fat was within the desired range, but the TA of the composition was less than 25 gf. It was also found that by further including 0.01% by mass or more of SMG (saturated fatty acid monoglyceride) in addition to UMG, the TA of the plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition was not reduced, and a better flavor (a clean flavor that disperses easily in the mouth) was obtained. For example, when Example 1 was compared with Example 10 or Example 11, the TA of Example 10 or Example 11 was higher, while the TA of Example 12 was equivalent to that of Example 13. Furthermore, the plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions of Comparative Examples 6 to 10 have TA within the desired range, but the SP of the oil or fat is greater than 5°C and does not satisfy the range of the present invention. (2) It was also found that the plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition of the present invention has the desired TA even when it does not contain solid fat, as long as it contains 0.1% by mass or more of UMG based on the total mass (Examples 12 to 15). More preferably, the inclusion of solid fat stabilizes the emulsion structure, resulting in harder physical properties (Examples 1 to 11, Examples 16 to 28). It was also found that the solid fat is not limited to interesterified oils and fats or extremely hardened oils, and various solid fats such as palm oil and coconut oil can be used (Examples 23, 24, and 25). (3) It was also found that the oil content (total amount of the oil phase) can be widely varied from 20% to 70% by mass (Examples 17 to 22). Therefore, it is possible to prepare both low-oil and high-oil plastic water-in-oil emulsion compositions.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] [Table 2]

Claims

1. A food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition having the following properties (a) and (b): (a) The softening point of the oil or fat is 5°C or less. (b) The maximum load at 5°C is 25 gf or more.

2. 2. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, further having the following property (c): (c) The saturated fatty acid content in the oil or fat is 15% by mass or less.

3. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, comprising 0.1% by mass or more of an unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having 16 to 22 carbon atoms based on the total mass of the composition.

4. 4. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 3, comprising 0.01% by mass or more of saturated fatty acid monoglycerides having 16 to 22 carbon atoms based on the total mass of the composition.

5. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, wherein the oil content is 20% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less based on the total mass of the composition.

6. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, wherein the softening point of the oil or fat (a) is 0°C or lower.

7. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, which is substantially free of trans fatty acids.

8. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 2, wherein the saturated fatty acid content in the oil or fat (c) is 12.5% ​​by mass or less.

9. 3. The food grade plastic water-in-oil emulsion composition according to claim 1, which is for use in a fat spread.

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