Edible oil particles and their aggregates

Abstract

To provide an edible oil that does not leave a sticky feeling in the mouth and has improved integration with the ingredients. [Solution] Edible oil is mixed with an aqueous solution containing a thickening agent and an oil gelling agent. The mixture is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the oil gelling agent to form an aqueous suspension of edible oil. The suspension is then cooled to room temperature, either with or without stirring, to form oil particles. By forming the oil into particles, the surface area of ​​the oil that comes into contact with the tongue is reduced the moment it enters the mouth, thereby reducing the unpleasant sticky feeling experienced when consuming oil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to edible oil particles and their aggregates. The edible oil particles and their aggregates have less stickiness to the tongue inherent in gelled oil and are superior in texture to existing gelled oils.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are known dishes in which oil is applied to food materials and eaten. Representative dishes include "Drooling Chicken" in which roasted oil is applied to chicken and eaten, and Caprese in which olive oil is applied on top of tomatoes / mozzarella cheese / basil and eaten. These dishes are known as popular dishes because the umami of the food materials and the flavor of the oil are combined. However, in these dishes, the oil applied to the food materials is likely to flow down, and even when placed in the mouth, the oil flows away from the food materials, making it difficult to fully enjoy the unity of the food materials and the oil. By the way, in recent years, oil gelling agents mainly composed of specific polyglycerol fatty acid esters having a function of thickening or solidifying oil have been developed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-119687 [Patent Document 1], Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-069912 [Patent Document 2], Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-106935 [Patent Document 3], Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-042550 [Patent Document 4]). These gelling agents have a certain effect in enhancing the unity of food materials and oil. In addition, as an example of applying these oil gelling agents to foods, there is disclosed a food containing high-moisture food materials and low-moisture food materials in which the transfer of moisture from high-moisture food materials to low-moisture food materials is effectively suppressed and the texture of the low-moisture food materials is maintained (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-005627 [Patent Document 5]).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, we discovered that simply gelling the oil, while effective in enhancing the integration of the oil with the ingredients, creates a new problem: when consumed, it results in an unpleasant sticky or greasy texture on the tongue. Therefore, the inventors of this invention proceeded with their research with the goal of creating an edible oil that is not sticky and has an improved sense of unity between the food and the oil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a result, the inventors discovered that by using the above-mentioned oil gelling agent in a specific manufacturing method, it is possible to create particulate oil (oil particles), and as a result, the "stickiness" can be suppressed, thus completing the present invention. The edible oil particles described above can be obtained by mixing edible oil and an oil gelling agent with an aqueous solution whose viscosity has been increased in advance with an aqueous thickener, raising the temperature of the mixture to a predetermined range, then lowering it to room temperature, and then performing water washing and separation / recovery operations. After separation and recovery, the edible oil particles are obtained in an aggregated state, and these aggregated edible oil particles are sometimes referred to as edible oil particle aggregates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] Since the edible oil particles of this invention are solid at room temperature, when added to food, the oil itself does not drip off the food. Therefore, when consumed, the flavor of the food and oil blended together can be fully enjoyed. Furthermore, because the particles are granular, the surface area that comes into contact with the tongue and mouth is reduced compared to existing gelling oils, thus eliminating the unpleasant sticky feeling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a micrograph of the edible oil particles from Example 1. [Figure 2] This is a photograph of an oil particle aggregate obtained by the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The edible oil particles of the present invention can be obtained by adding liquid oil (a-1) and an oil gelling agent (a-2) to an aqueous solution of a thickening agent (b-2) dissolved in water (b-1), stirring the mixture while raising the temperature above the melting point of the oil gelling agent (a-2), and then lowering it to room temperature. In this invention, "room temperature" refers to the temperature range of +15°C to +25°C [General Rules of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia]. The following explains each component.

[0009] <Liquid oil (a-1)> The liquid oil used in this invention is an edible oil that is liquid at room temperature. Examples of such oils include, but are not limited to, linseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, sesame oil, rice oil, soybean oil, camellia oil, rapeseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil. Two or more of these liquid oils can also be used in combination. In this invention, oils and fats that are solid at room temperature cannot be used either as oil alone or as a by-component of oil. When solid oil components are included in oil, the resulting oil particles become sticky.

[0010] <Oil gelling agent (a-2)> In the present invention, the oil gelling agent plays a role in controlling the hardness of the edible oil particles and their stability over time. Oil gelling agents are also known in the industry as oil and fat thickeners or non-aqueous thickeners. Today, most oil gelling agents are amphiphilic compounds mainly composed of polyglycerol fatty acid esters. However, in order to improve the function of oil gelling agents, various measures have been taken to improve the structure of polyglycerol fatty acid esters, such as i) using fatty acids with 16 to 22 carbon atoms as the main component, ii) setting the degree of polymerization of polyglycerol to 10 to 40, and iii) setting the esterification rate to 40% or more. Commercially available polyglycerin fatty acid ester-based oil gelling agents can be suitably used. Examples include, but are not limited to, TAISET 50 and TAISET AD ("TAISET" is a registered trademark of Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.; the same applies hereinafter) manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., RYOTO B100-D ("RYOTO" is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and SY Glister CV-1L ("SY Glister" is a registered trademark of Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The oil gelling agent used in this invention has a melting point in the range of 50°C to 85°C and is solid at room temperature. As described later, in this invention, it is necessary to raise the temperature above the melting point of the oil gelling agent, so it is important to determine the melting point in advance before use. As described below, as the amount of oil gelling agent increases, the edible oil particles become less prone to breaking down, and the sticky feeling is suppressed. In addition, the long-term stability of the edible oil particles increases. Therefore, in this invention, it is important to keep the amount (mass ratio) of oil gelling agent to oil within an appropriate range.

[0011] <Water(b-1)> Water (b-1) can preferably be tap water, purified water, or deionized water. <Thickening agent (b-2)> In the present invention, the thickening agent increases the viscosity of water, and as a result, when a mixture of liquid oil, oil gelling agent, and water is stirred, it exhibits the function of making the aqueous phase a continuous phase and the oil phase a dispersed phase. The thickeners used in the present invention include plant-derived thickeners, animal-derived thickeners, microorganism-derived thickeners, and cellulose-based thickeners. Examples of plant-derived thickeners include agar, gum arabic, guar gum, carrageenan, glucomannan, tara gum, tamarind gum, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, pectin, and alginic acid. Examples of animal-derived thickeners include collagen, casein, and gelatin. Examples of microorganism-derived thickeners include xanthan gum, succinoglycan, gellan gum, dextran, and fermented cellulose. Examples of cellulose-based thickeners include hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and ethyl cellulose (EC). These thickeners can also be used in combination. Although the reason is not clear, as a result of a series of tests described later, it was found that if the amount of the thickener is too small or too large, the oil phase cannot be divided by stirring, and as a result, edible oil particles cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the present invention, it is important to set the amount of the thickener (concentration in the aqueous solution) within an appropriate range.

[0012] <Method for Producing Edible Oil Particles> The edible oil particles of the present invention are obtained by mixing an aqueous solution (b) in which a thickener is previously dissolved in water, a liquid oil (a-1), and an oil gelling agent (a-2), heating the mixture to a temperature not lower than the melting point of the oil gelling agent (a-2) under stirring, and then cooling the mixture to room temperature. Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the edible oil particles (hereinafter, may be abbreviated as "oil particles") will be described in detail.

[0013] <Water Phase Component Preparation Step> In this process, a thickening agent (b-2) is mixed and dissolved in water (b-1) to prepare an aqueous solution of the thickening agent (b). The concentration of the thickening agent in the aqueous solution of the thickening agent (b) is adjusted to a range of 0.24% by mass or more and 1.5% by mass or less. Furthermore, the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the thickening agent (b) must be in the range of approximately 550 mPa·s to 13,890 mPa·s, and more preferably in the range of 900 mPa·s to 13,890 mPa·s.

[0014] <Edible oil particle generation process> In this step, the thickening agent aqueous solution (b) obtained in the above step, oil (a-1), and oil gelling agent (a-2) are stirred and mixed to prepare a mixture above the melting point of the oil gelling agent (a-2). At this stage, the oil gelling agent (a-2) melts and dissolves into the oil (a-1) by stirring. Subsequently, the oil (a-1) is dispersed by stirring, and the oil gelling agent (a-2) is dispersed in the aqueous phase as oil particles (suspended particles), i.e., edible oil particles, and the mixture becomes a suspension in which edible oil particles are dispersed in the aqueous phase. The mixture can be prepared by any of the following procedures: a) adding the thickening agent aqueous solution (b) to a container holding a mixture of oil (a-1) and oil gelling agent (a-2); b) simultaneously adding the thickening agent aqueous solution (b), oil (a-1), and oil gelling agent (a-2) to the container; or c) adding the oil (a-1) and oil gelling agent (a-2) to a container containing the thickening agent aqueous solution (b). However, given the purpose of this invention, which is to form and disperse oil particles in the aqueous phase, it is preferable to follow procedures b) and c). The oil / water ratio (the ratio of the total mass of oil (a-1) and oil gelling agent (a-2) to the mass of the thickening agent aqueous solution (b)) is not particularly restricted as long as the oil is dispersed as suspended particles in the aqueous phase, and generally a range of 5 / 95 to 60 / 40 can be adopted. Preferably, it is in the range of 20 / 80 to 40 / 60. Furthermore, the heating of the mixture may be carried out by either i) heating one or both of the thickening agent aqueous solution (b) or the oil (a-1) beforehand, and then mixing them with the oil gelling agent (a-2), or ii) heating the mixture after mixing the thickening agent aqueous solution (b), the oil (a-1), and the oil gelling agent (a-2). Next, by lowering the temperature of the suspension with or without stirring, a suspension of oil particles with a stable size can be obtained. In this suspension, stirring causes repeated fragmentation and coalescence of the suspended particles (oil particles), but stopping stirring gradually promotes coalescence. In this case, a high viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution acts to suppress the coalescence of the oil particles. Also, when the temperature of the suspension drops below the melting point of the oil gelling agent, the oil particles become harder due to the action of the oil gelling agent in the oil phase, making it more difficult for the suspended particles (oil particles) to coalesce, and stabilizing the dispersion state. Therefore, under conditions where the viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution is low, it is preferable to maintain stirring during the cooling period until the oil particles stabilize. <Edible oil particle separation process> As the oil particles stabilize upon cooling, they can be separated from the suspension by sieving. As will be described in detail later, the oil particles obtained by sieving are recovered as aggregates of many oil particles, but since these oil particles are stable, they can be washed with water as needed and then air-dried.

[0015] The oil particles of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples. <Edible oil particle formation test> The following tests were performed at room temperature unless otherwise noted. [Example 1] 66.06 parts by mass of tap water were poured into a beaker, and then 0.24 parts by mass of xanthan gum was added as a thickening agent and mixed to obtain a homogeneous aqueous solution in which the thickening agent was dissolved. The concentration of the thickening agent in the aqueous solution was 0.36% by mass. The viscosity of the aqueous solution was 1,230 mPa·s. Next, 1.00 parts by mass of an oil gelling agent (TAISET AD, pellet form, melting point 60°C) was added to the aqueous solution, and the mixture was heated to 80°C while stirring with a spatula. Subsequently, while stirring with a spatula and maintaining the temperature of the mixture, 32.70 parts by mass of sesame oil were gradually added. The mass ratio of oil gelling agent to oil (mass of oil gelling agent / mass of oil) was 0.03. After stirring continued for several minutes, the mixture became a suspension. Then, stirring was stopped, and the mixture was allowed to cool under static conditions until the temperature dropped below room temperature. After standing and cooling, a suspension layer was observed at the top of the beaker, and an aqueous layer at the bottom. When a portion of the suspension liquid (hereinafter referred to as the suspension) was taken as a sample and dropped into a beaker containing water, the suspended particles in the sample initially floated to the surface of the water, and then redispersed when stirred. On the other hand, when the same sample was dropped into a beaker containing sesame oil, the sample sank to the bottom, and stirring did not disperse the suspended particles in the sample into the sesame oil. These results confirmed that the suspension layer was a suspension in which oil particles were dispersed in the aqueous phase. The same sample was examined under a microscope (Figure 1), and the number-average particle size of the dispersed oil particles was measured to be 2,100 μm (Table 1). In calculating the number-average particle size, the particle size of 100 oil particles was measured, and the average value was calculated. Furthermore, if the oil particles were elliptical, the average of their major and minor axes was used. Next, oil particles were separated from the suspension, washed with water, and air-dried to obtain oil particle aggregates (Figure 2).

[0016] [Comparative Example 1] In Example 1, the oil particle formation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no thickening agent was added and 66.30 parts by mass of water was used. As a result, the oil particles coagulated easily, and ultimately the water and oil completely separated, making particle formation impossible. In order to promote particle formation, we tried conditions in which stirring was maintained even during the cooling period, but only an emulsion of water droplets in oil was formed (Table 1).

[0017] [Comparative Example 2] In Example 1, the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the thickener was measured and an oil particle formation test was performed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 0.08 parts by mass of the thickener (xanthan gum) and 66.22 parts by mass of water (thickener concentration 0.12% by mass) were used. The viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution was 124 mPa·s. The results of the oil particle formation test were similar to those of Comparative Example 1, showing that oil particles readily coalesced, and ultimately the water and oil completely separated, making particle formation impossible. In an attempt to promote particle formation, conditions in which stirring was maintained even during the cooling period were tried, but only an emulsion of water droplets in oil was formed (Table 1).

[0018] [Example 2] In Example 1, under the condition that "the total mass of the thickener (xanthan gum) and water is 66.30 parts by mass," the viscosity measurement and oil particle formation test of the thickener aqueous solution were performed in the same manner, except that the amount of the thickener was reduced to 0.20 parts by mass (thickener concentration 0.30% by mass). The viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution was 900 mPa·s. Furthermore, the oil particle formation test yielded oil particles and oil particle aggregates, similar to those obtained in Example 1. The number-average particle size of the oil particles was 1,600 μm.

[0019] [Example 3] In Example 1, under the condition that "the total mass of the thickener (xanthan gum) and water is 66.30 parts by mass," the amount of the thickener was further reduced to 0.16 parts by mass (thickener concentration 0.24% by mass), and stirring was continued during the cooling period. The viscosity measurement and oil particle formation test of the thickener aqueous solution were performed in the same manner (Table 1). The viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution was 550 mPa·s. Furthermore, the oil particle formation test yielded oil particles and oil particle aggregates, similar to Example 1. The number-average particle size of the oil particles was 420 μm. However, in this test, although the oil formed a dispersed phase in the aqueous phase, many elliptical or irregularly shaped particles were observed. This is thought to be because the particles solidified without becoming spherical due to the effects of stirring. Furthermore, if stirring is not continued during the cooling period and the mixture is left to stand, the oil particles tend to coalesce, and ultimately the water and oil completely separate, making particle formation impossible. Based on the above, it is estimated that the lower limit of viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution required for the dispersed phase to exist stably is 550 mPa·s.

[0020] [Examples 4-7] In Example 1, under the condition that "the total mass of the thickener (xanthan gum) and water is 66.30 parts by mass", The viscosity of the aqueous solution of the thickener was measured and an oil particle formation test was performed in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the amount of thickener was increased to 0.60 parts by mass (thickener concentration 0.90% by mass) [Example 4], 0.70 parts by mass (thickener concentration 1.1% by mass) [Example 5], 0.80 parts by mass (thickener concentration 1.2% by mass) [Example 6], and 1.00 parts by mass (thickener concentration 1.5% by mass) [Example 7]. The results are shown in Table 1. In all tests, oil particles and oil particle aggregates were obtained.

[0021] [Comparative Example 3] In Example 1, the viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution and the formation of oil particles were measured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the amount of thickening agent was 1.40 parts by mass and water was 64.90 parts by mass (thickening agent concentration 2.1% by mass) (Table 1). As a result, the viscosity of the thickening agent aqueous solution was too high, causing the oil to remain in a continuous phase and preventing its dispersion as particles in the aqueous phase. Although we also tried maintaining stirring even during the cooling period to promote particle dispersion, the oil remained in a continuous phase form until the end, and as a result, only an emulsion of water droplets in oil was obtained.

[0022] [Table 1]

[0023] From the results of Examples 1-7 and Comparative Examples 1-3, it was found that if the viscosity of the aqueous phase (thickening agent aqueous solution) is too low or too high, the oil phase does not become a dispersed phase, meaning that oil particles are not formed. Furthermore, it was observed that as the viscosity of the aqueous phase (thickening agent aqueous solution) approaches the lower or upper limit, the oil particle size tends to decrease in both cases. Therefore, in order to obtain oil particles, the viscosity of the aqueous phase (thickening agent aqueous solution) must be in the range of 550 mPa·s to 13,890 mPa·s. Furthermore, in order for the oil particles to be obtained as stable spherical particles, the viscosity of the aqueous phase (thickening agent aqueous solution) is preferably in the range of 900 mPa·s to 13,890 mPa·s.

[0024] [Examples 8-11, and Comparative Examples 4-6] In Example 1, under the condition that "the total mass of sesame oil and oil gelling agent (TAISET AD) is 33.70 parts by mass," the amount of oil gelling agent was varied to 0 parts by mass [Comparative Example 4], 0.35 parts by mass [Comparative Example 5], 0.70 parts by mass [Example 8], 2.50 parts by mass [Example 9], 2.80 parts by mass [Example 10], 3.00 parts by mass [Example 11], and 3.75 parts by mass [Comparative Example 6], and the oil particle formation test was conducted in the same manner. The "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" in each test example was 0 [Comparative Example 4], 0.01 [Comparative Example 5], 0.02 [Example 8], 0.08 [Example 9], 0.09 [Example 10], 0.10 [Example 11], and 0.13 [Comparative Example 6]. The results of the oil particle formation test are shown in Table 2. The results for Example 1 are also included in the same table. As a result, it was found that in Comparative Examples 4 and 5, where the ratio of the mass of the oil gelling agent to the mass of the sesame oil (hereinafter referred to as "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)") was less than 0.02, oil particles could not be obtained. On the other hand, in Examples 8, 1, 9, 10, and 11, and Comparative Example 6, where the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" was 0.02 or higher, oil particles were obtained in all cases. The number-average particle size of the oil particles in each test example is shown in Table 2.

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] [Comparative Examples 7-9] In Example 1, the oil particle formation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the oil component was changed to 29.4 parts by mass of sesame oil / 3.3 parts by mass of lard (10% by mass ratio of lard to oil component) [Comparative Example 7], 27.1 parts by mass of sesame oil / 5.6 parts by mass of lard (17% by mass ratio of lard to oil component) [Comparative Example 8], and 24.9 parts by mass of sesame oil / 7.8 parts by mass of lard (24% by mass ratio of lard to oil component) [Comparative Example 9], instead of 32.7 parts by mass of sesame oil [Comparative Example 1]. The melting point of lard is 34°C. As a result, oil particles similar to those in Example 1 were obtained. The number-average particle size of the oil particles was 1,350 μm [Comparative Example 7], 1,380 μm [Comparative Example 8], and 1,340 μm [Comparative Example 9], respectively.

[0027] [Reference example] This test example follows conventional technology, where an oil gelling agent is added to liquid oil to create a gel-like oil. 97.13 parts by mass of sesame oil and 2.97 parts by mass of oil gelling agent (TAISET AD, TAISET AD is a registered trademark of Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd., and the same applies hereafter) were added to a beaker. The ratio of the amount of oil gelling agent to the amount of sesame oil (amount of oil gelling agent / amount of oil) was 0.03. The contents were then heated to 80°C while stirring with a spatula. A homogeneous solution was obtained by heating. Next, the solution was allowed to stand and cool without stirring, and the temperature was lowered to room temperature. As the temperature decreased, the solution changed into a viscous oil (hereinafter, "viscous oil").

[0028] Sensory evaluation The oil particle samples obtained in Examples 1-11 and Comparative Example 6 were subjected to sensory evaluation using the viscous oil obtained in the Reference Example as a comparison standard, with stickiness, texture, and flavor as evaluation items. The results are shown in Table 3. The ranking of each evaluation item was based on the following criteria. <Sticky feeling> ◎: Less sticky than the example shown. ○: Slightly less sticky than the example shown. ×: No change from the example. No improvement was observed. <Texture> Mouthfeel ◎: No change in texture was observed. ○: There is a slight feeling of discomfort due to the particulate nature of the material, but it is not to the point of being unpleasant. ×: The roughness associated with particle formation is clearly noticeable. <flavor> ◎: No change in flavor was observed. ○: A slight decrease in flavor is observed due to particle formation. ×: The loss of flavor due to particle size reduction is clearly noticeable. Based on the above evaluation results, the following rankings were assigned. • Rank A: All items are ◎ [Pass] • Rank B: Not yet achieved Rank A, but all items are above ○ [Pass] • Rank C: Failed if even one item is marked as incorrect.

[0029] As a result, in a series of Examples 1 to 7 in which only the thickening agent concentration was changed, all samples exhibited superior stickiness and texture compared to the control oil (reference example), and no deterioration in flavor was observed. It was found that the sample in Example 7 gave a foamy texture. This was presumed to be due to the extremely small size of the oil particles (80 μm) in Example 7.

[0030] From the above, it was found that by setting the concentration of the thickener in the aqueous phase (thickener aqueous solution) to a range of 0.24% by mass or more and 1.5% by mass or less, oil particles with superior texture can be obtained, and furthermore, by setting it to a range of 1.2% by mass or less, oil particles with even superior texture can be obtained. Furthermore, it was found that oil particles with superior texture can be obtained by setting the viscosity of the aqueous phase (thickening agent aqueous solution) between 550 mPa·s and 13,890 mPa·s, and even better texture can be obtained by setting it to 11,530 mPa·s or less.

[0031] On the other hand, the following is clear from the results of a series of Examples 8, 1, 9-11 and Comparative Example 6, in which only the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" was changed. First, in Comparative Example 6, although the stickiness was improved, the texture was poor, and the flavor also deteriorated. This is presumed to be because too much oil gelling agent was used in Comparative Example 6, which increased the hardness of the oil particles (more precisely, the particles formed by the oil gelling agent), resulting in a poor texture. At the same time, it is thought that the flavor was masked by the oil gelling agent. On the other hand, in Examples 8, 1, 9-11, where the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" was in the range of 0.02 to 0.10, all of them exhibited superior texture (stickiness, mouthfeel) compared to the comparative oil (reference example), and no deterioration in flavor was observed. Of these examples, Examples 1, 9, and 10, where the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" was in the range of 0.03 to 0.09, showed particularly good stickiness and mouthfeel. On the other hand, in Example 8 (mass ratio: 0.02), which had a lower "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" than the others, the stickiness was superior to the comparative oil (reference example), but it was slightly inferior to Examples 1, 9, and 10. This is presumed to be because the oil particles were softer than those in Examples 1, 9, and 10, and therefore broke down immediately upon contact with the mouth. Furthermore, Example 11, in which the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" was 0.10, resulted in a less pleasant texture compared to Examples 1, 9, and 10. This is presumed to be due to the particles being harder in comparison to Examples 1, 9, and 10.

[0032] From the perspective of sensory evaluation, the range of "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" is 0.02 or more and 0.10 or less, and more preferably 0.03 or more and 0.09 or less. Furthermore, the results of this series of tests clearly showed that the size of oil particles has little effect on sensory perception. Only in Example 7 (average particle size 80 μm), where the particle size (number-average particle size) was extremely small, did it give a foamy texture. Therefore, the size of the oil particles should be adjusted to a range of 80 μm to 2,500 μm, preferably 270 μm to 2,500 μm.

[0033] Next, the sensory evaluation of the oil particles obtained in Comparative Examples 7-9 showed that in all cases, the particles were easily broken when placed in the mouth and left a strong sticky feeling when dissolved in the mouth. This is thought to be because the oil component contains lard, a solid fat. Therefore, if the oil component contains a fat that is solid at room temperature, the objective of the present invention cannot be achieved.

[0034] 《Oil retention rate》 The stability of oil particles (oil retention rate) was evaluated by measuring the amount of oil that seeped out within a predetermined temperature / time. 1) Place the oil particle sample on a filter paper whose weight has been measured in advance, adjust the sample thickness, measure the total weight of the filter paper and the oil particle sample, and calculate the weight (W0) of the oil particle sample placed on the filter paper. 2) Keep at the specified temperature for 24 hours. 3) After 24 hours, remove the oil particles from the filter paper with a spatula and measure the weight of the filter paper. Determine the weight (W) of the oil absorbed by the filter paper. 4) The oil retention rate was calculated as [(W0-W) / W0] × 100 (%) and used as an indicator of the stability of the oil particles. Following the above procedure, the oil retention rate was determined for Examples 1-11 and Comparative Example 6, which yielded oil particles and exhibited excellent sensory evaluation. Two temperature levels were used: 30°C and 40°C. The stability tests were evaluated as follows, and ranked accordingly. • A-rank: Oil retention rate of 70% or more at 40°C [Pass] • Rank B: Although not meeting Rank A standards, oil retention rate of 70% or higher at 30°C [Pass] • Rank C: Failed to achieve Rank A, and oil retention rate is less than 70% at 30°C [Fail] The results are shown in Table 3. A stability test was also conducted on the "viscous oil" used as a reference example.

[0035] [Table 3]

[0036] Table 3 shows that if the "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" is constant, there is no significant difference in particle stability regardless of the size (particle diameter) of the oil particles. On the other hand, the higher the mass ratio, the greater the particle stability. Specifically, at a mass ratio of 0.02, the oil retention rate at 30°C is 70% (rank B) [Example 8], at a mass ratio of 0.03 or higher, the oil retention rate is 70% or higher even at 40°C [Examples 1, 9, 10], and at a mass ratio of 0.08 or higher, the oil retention rate at 40°C exceeds 90% [Examples 9, 10]. Therefore, from the viewpoint of particle stability, the range of "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" is 0.02 or more and 0.10 or less, and more preferably 0.03 or more and 0.09 or less.

[0037] The bottom column of Table 3 shows the results of both tests obtained for each sample in the "Sensory Evaluation Rank / Stability Test Rank" format. A passing grade is B or higher for both evaluation ranks (A / A, A / B, B / A, B / B). Based on the above, the range of "oil gelling agent / oil (mass ratio)" that satisfies both sensory evaluation and particle stability is 0.02 or more and 0.10 or less, and more preferably 0.03 or more and 0.09 or less.

[0038] [Examples 12-16] Oil particles were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that sesame oil was replaced with rapeseed salad oil [Example 12], soybean salad oil [Example 13], olive oil [Example 14], chili oil [Example 15], and grapeseed oil [Example 16]. Based on each oil particle, a gelled base oil was prepared in the same manner as in the reference example, and compared with the corresponding oil particles. In all cases, the oil particles were less sticky. Furthermore, each oil particle had an oil retention rate equivalent to that of Example 1.

[0039] [Application Examples] When the olive oil particles prepared in Example 14 were used in Caprese and carpaccio, there was no oily dripping, and the sticky feeling when eating was suppressed. Furthermore, when used with baguette, it adhered to the ingredients better than liquid olive oil, did not drip, resulting in a visually appealing dish with more texture, and the olive oil flavor was directly perceived when eaten.

Claims

1. Edible oil particles and aggregates thereof, consisting of edible oil (limited to those that are liquid at room temperature) and an oil gelling agent.

2. The edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 1, wherein the oil gelling agent is an amphiphilic compound mainly composed of polyglycerin fatty acid ester.

3. The edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 2, wherein the mass ratio of the oil gelling agent to the edible oil (mass of oil gelling agent / mass of oil) is 0.02 or more and 0.10 or less.

4. The edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 3, wherein the mass ratio of the oil gelling agent to the edible oil (mass of oil gelling agent / mass of oil) is 0.03 or more and 0.09 or less.

5. A method for producing edible oil particles and aggregates thereof, comprising the steps i) to iV) below. i) A step of preparing an aqueous solution of the thickener by dissolving the aqueous thickener in water, ii) Next, the edible oil, oil gelling agent, and the aqueous solution of the thickening agent are stirred and mixed to form a mixture above the melting point of the oil gelling agent, thereby creating a suspension of edible oil particles in the aqueous phase. iii) Next, the suspension is cooled to room temperature. iv) Next, a step of separating and recovering edible oil particles or aggregates thereof from the suspension.

6. A method for producing edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 5, wherein the viscosity range of the aqueous solution of the thickening agent is 550 mPa·s or more and 13,890 mPa·s or less.

7. A method for producing edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 6, wherein the mass ratio of the oil gelling agent to the edible oil (mass of oil gelling agent / mass of edible oil) is in the range of 0.02 to 0.

10.

8. A method for producing edible oil particles and aggregates thereof according to claim 7, wherein the viscosity range of the aqueous solution of the thickening agent is 900 mPa·s or more and 11,530 mPa·s or less, and the mass ratio of the oil gelling agent to the edible oil (mass of oil gelling agent / mass of edible oil) is in the range of 0.03 to 0.09.

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