Hard butter composition

Abstract

The present invention provides a hard butter composition that suppresses the occurrence of cracks in thin-film chocolate, particularly in tempered chocolate. [Solution] A hard butter composition containing the following fat (A). Oils and fats (A): Oils and fats having a content of 2 to 50% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a content of 1.9% by mass or more of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher. however, CN represents the total number of carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acid residues of the triglyceride. S represents a saturated fatty acid residue. S3 triglycerides are trisaturated triglycerides.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hard butter composition. The present invention further relates to an oily confectionery containing the hard butter composition, a food product comprising a thin film formed of the oily confectionery, and a method for suppressing cracking of chocolates using the hard butter composition.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, composite chocolate foods produced by combining chocolate with other food materials have been commercially available, such as foods obtained by coating confectionery and bread with chocolate, and chocolate confectionery containing fruits, nuts, alcoholic beverages and the like inside. For thin-film chocolates such as the aforementioned coating chocolate and shell chocolate, cracking may occur due to the influence of moisture derived from the food material to be combined, or external stress such as vibration during transportation. When cracking occurs, the appearance of the food is impaired, and the quality of the food material to be combined changes, which reduces the commercial value of the product.

[0003] As technologies contributing to suppressing cracking of chocolate, for example: a method for producing chocolate characterized by using an oil / fat that contains a specific amount of disaturated monounsaturated glyceride and contains a specific amount of disaturated monolinoleate in the disaturated monounsaturated glyceride (Patent Document 1); an oil / fat composition for coating characterized by containing a specific amount of randomly transesterified oil / fat and having a solid fat content (SFC) within a specific range at each temperature of 10°C, 20°C, 30°C and 40°C (Patent Document 2); a chocolate containing a combination of specific amounts of lauric oil / fat and non-lauric oil / fat (Patent Document 3); and a coating chocolate containing glycerin oleate and / or diglycerin oleate (Patent Document 4) have been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] Chocolate cracking is generally more likely to occur when using a no-temper hard butter composition that utilizes lauric fats with high snap properties. Patent documents 1-4 mentioned above also discuss methods for suppressing cracking in no-temper chocolate.

[0006] In this regard, the inventors have found that even tempered chocolate can crack when it comes to thin-film chocolate.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a hard butter composition that suppresses the occurrence of cracks in thin films of chocolate, particularly in tempered chocolate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of diligent research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of this invention have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by a hard butter composition having the following configuration, and have completed the present invention.

[0009] In other words, the present invention includes the following: [1] A hard butter composition comprising the following fats and oils (A). Oils and fats (A): Oils and fats having a content of 2 to 50% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a content of 1.9% by mass or more of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher. however, CN represents the total number of carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acid residues of the triglyceride. S represents a saturated fatty acid residue. S3 triglycerides are trisaturated triglycerides. [2] The hard butter composition according to [1], wherein the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the fat (A) is 4 to 40% by mass. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue. [3] The hard butter composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the solid fat content of oil (A) at 25°C to the solid fat content at 35°C is 2 to 13. [4] The hard butter composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the fat (A) comprises one or more fats selected from the group consisting of the following fats (A-1), fats (A-2), and fats (A-3). Oils and fats (A-1): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 5-15% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, a content of 2.5-7% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a total content of 30-50% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. Oils and fats (A-2): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 40-60% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, a content of 2.5-7% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a total content of 2-10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. Oils and fats (A-3): Oils and fats having a content of 2-4% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 1.9-2.5% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 2-10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue. [5] A hard butter composition according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the fat (A) is mixed with cocoa butter so that the fat (A) content is 1 to 50% by mass, the mixture is completely melted and seed tempered, and then left to stand at 15°C for 1 day, and then left to stand at 20°C for 14 days, the proportion of β' crystals is 2% or more. [6] A hard butter composition according to any of [1] to [5], for use with tempered chocolates. [7] A hard butter composition according to any one of [1] to [6] for suppressing cracking of tempered chocolates. [8] An oily confectionery containing a hard butter composition as described in any of [1] to [7], and satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2). Condition (1) The oil content (A) in the oil phase is 1 to 50% by mass Condition (2) The content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is 1.7% by mass or more. [9] An oil-based confectionery as described in [8], which further satisfies the following condition (3). Condition (3) The total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the oil phase is 0.2 to 5% by mass. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue.

[10] An oil-based confectionery as described in [8] or [9], which further satisfies the following condition (4). Condition (4): The ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the solid fat content SFC-25 (%) at 25°C to the solid fat content SFC-35 (%) at 35°C of the oil phase is 20 to 90

[11] The oily confectionery according to any one of [8] to

[10] , wherein the oil phase contains an oil or fat (A) and cocoa butter.

[12] The oily confectionery according to any one of [8] to

[11] , which is temper-type chocolate.

[13] The oily confectionery according to any one of [8] to

[12] , which is chocolate for thin film formation.

[14] A food comprising a thin film formed of the oily confectionery according to any one of [8] to

[13] .

[15] A method for suppressing cracking of chocolates, wherein the hard butter composition according to any one of [1] to [7] is used such that the content of the oil or fat (A) in the oil phase is in the range of 1 to 50% by mass.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, there can be provided a hard butter composition that suppresses the occurrence of cracking in thin-film chocolate, particularly in temper-type chocolate.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. The present invention is not limited by the following description, and each constituent element can be appropriately altered without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0012] [Hard Butter Composition] The hard butter composition of the present invention is characterized by comprising the following oil or fat (A). Oil or fat (A): an oil or fat wherein the content of S3 triglycerides with CN of 44 or more is 2 to 50% by mass, and the content of monoacid S3 triglycerides with CN of 44 or more is 1.9% by mass or more provided that CN represents the total number of carbon atoms of constituent fatty acid residues of the triglyceride, S represents a saturated fatty acid residue, S3 triglyceride refers to trisaturated triglyceride.

[0013] In this invention, the term "monoacid type" for S3 triglycerides refers to the fact that the three saturated fatty acid residues S that constitute the S3 triglyceride are identical.

[0014] In the fat (A), the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 2% by mass or more, preferably 2.2% by mass or more, more preferably 2.4% by mass or more, 2.5% by mass or more, 2.6% by mass or more, 2.8% by mass or more, or 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 3.2% by mass or more, 3.4% by mass or more, or 3.5% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking. The upper limit of the content of the S3 triglycerides is 50% by mass or less, preferably 49% by mass or less, more preferably 48% by mass or less, and even more preferably 47% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking.

[0015] S3 triglycerides with CN44 or higher are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the three saturated fatty acid residues S constituting the triglyceride is 44 or more. Preferably, the content of S3 triglycerides with CN44 to 60 is within the above range.

[0016] In the oil (A), the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 1.9% by mass or more, preferably 2% by mass or more, more preferably 2.2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 2.4% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking. The upper limit of the content of the monoacid-type S3 triglycerides is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass or less or 6% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking.

[0017] The monoacid type S3 triglycerides with CN44 or more are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the three saturated fatty acid residues S constituting the triglyceride is 44 or less and the three saturated fatty acid residues are the same. Examples include P3 triglycerides (CN48), St3 triglycerides (CN54), and A3 triglycerides (CN60). Here, P represents a palmitic acid residue, St represents a stearic acid residue, and A represents an arachidic acid residue (the same applies hereafter).

[0018] In the present invention, the analysis of constituent triglycerides in oils and fats can be performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in accordance with the "Standard Test Methods for Analysis of Oils and Fats 2.4.6.2-2013" established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society. The triglyceride composition shown in the present invention is based on values ​​measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in accordance with the "Standard Test Methods for Analysis of Oils and Fats 2.4.6.2-2013" established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society, and the same applies hereinafter.

[0019] From the viewpoint of further suppressing the occurrence of cracks, the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the oil (A) is preferably 4 to 40% by mass. Here, PPO triglyceride is a triglyceride in which the palmitic acid residue P is bound to the 1st and 2nd positions of glycerin, and the oleic acid residue O is bound to the 3rd position of glycerin. Similarly, PStO triglyceride is a triglyceride in which P and St are bound to the 1st and 2nd positions of glycerin, and the oleic acid residue is bound to the 3rd position of glycerin, and StStO triglyceride is a triglyceride in which the stearic acid residue St is bound to the 1st and 2nd positions of glycerin, and the oleic acid residue O is bound to the 3rd position of glycerin. The inventors have confirmed that, in combination with the aforementioned conditions relating to the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher and the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides, the occurrence of cracks can be further suppressed when the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides is within the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0020] The total content of the above-mentioned asymmetric triglycerides in the oil (A) is more preferably 4.2% by mass or more, 4.4% by mass or more, or 4.5% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides is more preferably 38% by mass or less, 36% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less.

[0021] Other conditions that oil (A) is preferably satisfied with are described below.

[0022] -Total content of triglycerides with CN44 or higher- The fat (A) used in the hard butter composition of the present invention preferably has a total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher of 60% by mass or more. Here, the total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher means the sum of the content of each triglyceride, namely S3 triglyceride, S2U triglyceride, SU2 triglyceride, and U3 triglyceride, of CN44 or higher. Here, U represents an unsaturated fatty acid residue, S2U triglyceride represents a disaturated monounsaturated triglyceride, SU2 triglyceride represents a monosaturated diunsaturated triglyceride, and U3 triglyceride represents a triunsaturated triglyceride (the same applies hereinafter). In fat (A), the upper limit of the total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 99% by mass or less, 98% by mass or less, 97% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, etc.

[0023] Triglycerides with CN44 or higher are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the three fatty acid residues constituting the triglyceride is 44 or more. Preferably, the total content of triglycerides with CN44 to 60 is within the above range.

[0024] -Content of each triglyceride: S2U, SU2, and U3- In the oil (A), the content of S2U triglycerides with CN44 or higher is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 12% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more. The upper limit of the S2U triglyceride content is preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 88% by mass or less, 86% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 84% by mass or less, or 82% by mass or less. S2U triglycerides with CN44 or higher are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the two saturated fatty acid residues S and one unsaturated fatty acid residue U constituting the triglyceride is 44 or more (the preferred range for the content of specific asymmetric type triglycerides among S2U triglycerides is as described above). Preferably, the content of S2U triglycerides with CN44 or higher and CN60 or lower is within the above range.

[0025] In the oil (A), the content of SU2 triglycerides with CN44 or more is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.6% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more. The upper limit of the SU2 triglyceride content is preferably 25% by mass or less, more preferably 24% by mass or less, or 23% by mass or less. SU2 triglycerides with CN44 or more are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the one saturated fatty acid residue S and two unsaturated fatty acid residues U constituting the triglyceride is 44 or more. Preferably, the content of SU2 triglycerides with CN44 to 60 is within the above range.

[0026] In the oil (A), the content of U3 triglycerides with CN44 or higher is preferably 4% by mass or less, more preferably 3.8% by mass or less, 3.6% by mass or less, 3.5% by mass or less, 3.4% by mass or less, or 3.2% by mass or less. When the content of U3 triglycerides with CN44 or higher is within the above range, it is preferable as it facilitates the creation of oil-based confectionery exhibiting good heat resistance. The lower limit of the content of the U3 triglycerides is not particularly limited and may be 0% by mass. U3 triglycerides with CN44 or higher are not particularly limited as long as the total number of carbon atoms of the three unsaturated fatty acid residues U constituting the triglyceride is 44 or more. Preferably, the content of U3 triglycerides with CN44 to 60 is within the above range.

[0027] -Solid fat content SFC- The ratio (SFC-25 / SFC-35) of the solid fat content SFC-25 (%) at 25°C to the solid fat content SFC-35 (%) at 35°C of the fat (A) is preferably 2 to 13. The inventors have confirmed that when the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 is within the above preferred range, in combination with the conditions relating to the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid type S3 triglyceride content as described above, it is easier to realize oily confectionery that exhibits good melt-in-the-mouth properties while suppressing the occurrence of cracks. The ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 is more preferably 2.2 or higher, 2.4 or higher, 2.5 or higher, 2.6 or higher, 2.8 or higher, or 3 or higher. The upper limit of the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 is more preferably 12 or lower, 11 or lower, 10.5 or lower, or 10 or lower. Furthermore, the solid fat content of SFC-35 at 35°C is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 4% or more or 5% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 40% or less, more preferably 38% or less.

[0028] The solid fat content SFC-20 of oil (A) at 20°C is preferably 45% or more, more preferably 50% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking when combined with the conditions related to the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid type S3 triglyceride content mentioned above. The upper limit of the solid fat content SFC-20 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 90% or less, 85% or less, or 80% or less.

[0029] The SFC value indicates the solid fat content in an oil at a predetermined temperature and can be measured by conventional methods. However, in this invention, the SFC of the sample to be measured is measured using pulsed NMR (direct method) as described in AOCS official method cd16b-93, and the value obtained by converting the measured value to the amount of oil phase is used. That is, when measuring a sample that does not contain an aqueous phase, the measured value becomes the SFC, and when measuring a sample that contains an aqueous phase, the value obtained by converting the measured value to the amount of oil phase becomes the SFC (the same applies to the measurement of SFC hereafter).

[0030] In the hard butter composition of the present invention, the content of fat (A) is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but is preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 85% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of fat (A) is not particularly limited and may be 100% by mass. Other components that the hard butter composition of the present invention may contain (hereinafter also referred to as "auxiliary components") will be described later.

[0031] The hard butter composition of the present invention preferably contains no water, and its water content is preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less. In this invention, the water content includes not only water but also water in the auxiliary components described later.

[0032] The oil (A) will be described in more detail below, according to its preferred embodiment.

[0033] In one embodiment, the fat (A) comprises one or more fats selected from the group consisting of the following fats (A-1), fats (A-2), and fats (A-3).

[0034] Oils and fats (A-1): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 5-15% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, a content of 2.5-7% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a total content of 30-50% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides.

[0035] Oils and fats (A-2): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 40-60% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, a content of 2.5-7% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher, and a total content of 2-10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides.

[0036] Oils and fats (A-3): Oils and fats having a content of 2-4% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 1.9-2.5% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 2-10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides.

[0037] The content of each oil and fat in oil and fat (A), oil and fat (A-1), oil and fat (A-2), and oil and fat (A-3), may be adjusted so that the conditions related to the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid type S3 triglyceride content, as well as the total content of asymmetric triglycerides such as PPO, PStO, and StStO, the content of each triglyceride such as S2U, SU2, and U3, and the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35, fall within the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0038] The total content of fats and oils (A-1), fats and oils (A-2), and fats and oils (A-3) in fats and oils (A) is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 95% by mass or more, and may be 100% by mass, from the viewpoint of enjoying the effects of the present invention.

[0039] -Oils and fats (A-1)- In the oil and fat (A-1), the content of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher is 5% by mass or more, preferably 6% by mass or more, and more preferably 7% by mass or more. The upper limit of the S3 triglyceride content is 15% by mass or less, preferably 14% by mass or less, more preferably 12% by mass or less, 11% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less. Preferably, the content of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 to 60 is within the above range (hereinafter, the same applies when indicating the preferred content of each triglyceride (CN44 to 60)).

[0040] In the oil and fat (A-1), the content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 2.5% by mass or more, preferably 2.6% by mass or more or 2.8% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, 3.2% by mass or more, 3.4% by mass or more or 3.5% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of the monoacid type S3 triglycerides is 7% by mass or less, preferably 6.5% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or less, 5.8% by mass or less, 5.6% by mass or less or 5.5% by mass or less.

[0041] In the oil and fat (A-1), the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides is 30% by mass or more, preferably 32% by mass or more, more preferably 33% by mass or more, or 34% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides is 50% by mass or less, preferably 45% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, 38% by mass or less, 36% by mass or less, or 35% by mass or less.

[0042] In the oil and fat (A-1), the total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 85% by mass or more, more preferably 86% by mass or more, 88% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, or 92% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of triglycerides is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 98% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 94% by mass or less, etc.

[0043] In the oil and fat (A-1), the content of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 55% by mass or more, 56% by mass or more, or 58% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 65% ​​by mass or less, more preferably 64% by mass or less, or 62% by mass or less. The content of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 15% by mass or more, more preferably 16% by mass or more, or 18% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 25% by mass or less, more preferably 24% by mass or less, 23% by mass or less, 22% by mass or less, 21% by mass or less, or 20% by mass or less. The content of U3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 4.5% by mass or less, 4% by mass or less, or 3.5% by mass or less, with a lower limit of 0% by mass, but usually it can be 1% by mass or more, 1.5% by mass or more, or 2% by mass or more.

[0044] The ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the fat (A-1) is preferably 2.5 or higher, more preferably 2.6 or higher, 2.8 or higher, or 3 or higher, with an upper limit of preferably 6 or lower, more preferably 5 or lower, 4.5 or lower, or 4 or lower. Furthermore, the SFC-35 of the fat (A-1) is preferably 8% or higher, more preferably 9% or higher, 9.5% or higher, 10% or higher, 10.5% or higher, or 11% or higher, with an upper limit of preferably 20% or lower, more preferably 18% or lower, or 16% or lower.

[0045] The SFC-20 content of the oil (A-1) is preferably 45% or more, more preferably 50% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 70% or less, 65% or less, or 60% or less.

[0046] The oil and fat (A-1) is preferably obtained by fractionating palm-based random transesterified oil and fat. A preferred embodiment for producing the oil and fat (A-1) will be described below.

[0047] First, a fat and oil mixture is prepared in which the sum of the content of P and St in the constituent saturated fatty acid residues is 95% by mass or more. The fats and oils used to obtain such a fat and oil mixture are not particularly limited, and for example, one or more can be selected and mixed from various vegetable oils and animal fats such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, rice oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, monkey fat, mango fat, milk fat, beef fat, lard, cocoa butter, fish oil, whale oil, etc., as well as fats and oils that have been subjected to one or more physical or chemical treatments such as hydrogenation, fractionation, and transesterification, to obtain the above fat and oil mixture.

[0048] The composition of constituent fatty acid residues can be measured by capillary gas chromatography, for example, by referring to "Standard Test Methods for Analysis of Fats and Oils 2.4.2.3-2013" and "AOCS Method Ce-1h05" established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society.

[0049] In particular, it is preferable to include highly hydrogenated oils and fats in the oil and fat formulation from the viewpoint of increasing the content of St and P in the constituent fatty acid residues and making it easier to adjust conditions such as the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher and the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides to the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0050] Examples of highly hydrogenated oils include highly hydrogenated palm oil, highly hydrogenated soybean oil, highly hydrogenated rapeseed oil, and high-oleic sunflower oil.

[0051] When using highly hydrogenated oils and fats, it is preferable to use highly hydrogenated oils and fats with an iodine value of 3 or less, and more preferable to use highly hydrogenated oils and fats with an iodine value of 1 or less, from the viewpoint of substantially eliminating the presence of trans fatty acids.

[0052] When using highly hardened oil as one of the raw materials for oil and fat (A-1), any amount of oil and fat (A-1) may be used as long as it satisfies the aforementioned conditions such as the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher and the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides. However, the content of highly hardened oil in the oil and fat compound is preferably 32 to 52% by mass, more preferably 37 to 47% by mass.

[0053] Next, random transesterification is performed on the prepared oil and fat mixture. Random transesterification can be carried out by conventional methods, such as using a chemical catalyst such as sodium methoxide, or by using an enzyme such as lipase derived from the genera Alcaligenes, Rhizopus, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, etc. The lipase can be immobilized on a carrier such as an ion exchange resin, diatomaceous earth, or ceramic and used as an immobilized lipase, or it can be used in powder form.

[0054] Next, the randomly transesterified oil and fat mixture is separated by solvent fractionation or crystallization as detailed below. The resulting low-melting-point portion or medium-melting-point portion can then be preferably used as oil and fat (A-1).

[0055] Furthermore, the fractionation operation may be performed multiple times to obtain the fractional low-melting point portion or fractional medium-melting point portion of the randomly transesterified oil. In this case, solvent fractionation may be performed in two or three or more stages with different conditions, crystallization may be performed in two or three or more stages with different conditions, or solvent fractionation and crystallization may be combined.

[0056] The separation method can be selected arbitrarily, but if the mass ratio of St to P (St / P) in the constituent fatty acid residues of the separated oil is less than 0.4, solvent separation is preferred, and otherwise, separation by crystallization is preferred.

[0057] (Solvent separation) The solvent used for solvent fractionation is not particularly limited as long as it is a solvent that dissolves the transesterified oil to be fractionated. However, since the resulting fractionated oil will be used for food, it is preferable to select acetone or hexane.

[0058] The amount of solvent used is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of industrial productivity, it is preferable to add 50 parts by mass or more of solvent per 100 parts by mass of transesterified oil to be separated, more preferably 100 to 1000 parts by mass, and even more preferably 200 to 500 parts by mass.

[0059] When dissolving oils and fats in a solvent, it is necessary to first thoroughly dissolve the high-melting-point fraction that will be removed by fractionation, so it is preferable to heat the solvent to 30-70°C. The temperature at which the oils and fats dissolved in the solvent are cooled and held (cooling temperature) varies depending on the type of organic solvent, but it is preferable to use 0-30°C when using acetone and -10-20°C when using hexane. The time at which the mixture is held at the cooling temperature (cooling time) is preferably 0.1 hours to 100 hours, more preferably 0.5 hours to 50 hours, from the viewpoint of sufficiently precipitating the high-melting-point fraction.

[0060] The cooling rate is preferably 20°C / hour or less, and more preferably 0.1 to 15°C / hour, from the viewpoint of efficiently precipitating the high-melting-point fraction while preventing the incorporation of the target low-melting-point and medium-melting-point fractions into the crystal.

[0061] The cooling operation can be carried out by jacket cooling or a heat exchanger. The cooling operation can be carried out by standing or while stirring, but it is preferable to perform it while stirring in order to maintain good dispersion of the precipitated crystals and to cool the entire system uniformly. The addition or absence of a seeding agent can be selected as appropriate, and if added, it can be added at any time. For fractionation, the high-melting-point fraction crystals generated by cooling are filtered off by conventional methods, and then the solvent is removed by heating or other means to obtain the low-melting-point and medium-melting-point fractions.

[0062] (Fractionalization by crystallization) Crystallization refers to the process of cooling and crystallizing molten oil or fat, causing the crystalline portion to precipitate, and then separating it into a crystalline portion and a liquid portion.

[0063] The method of cooling and crystallizing is not particularly limited. For example, (1) cooling and crystallizing while stirring, (2) cooling and crystallizing while standing, (3) cooling and crystallizing while stirring, followed by further cooling and crystallization while standing, and (4) cooling and crystallizing while standing, followed by fluidization by mechanical stirring are possible. However, in order to obtain a crystallization slurry in which the crystalline portion and the liquid portion can be easily separated, it is preferable to adopt any of methods (1), (3), or (4), and more preferably method (1).

[0064] The crystallization temperature is preferably set at a temperature where the proportion of crystalline material in the crystallization slurry, i.e., the SFC (solid fat content) of the transesterified oil at the crystallization temperature, falls within the following ranges. Specifically, the SFC at the crystallization temperature is preferably 10-70%, more preferably 30-60%, and even more preferably 35-55%.

[0065] The cooling temperature and time are not particularly limited as long as the conditions are such that the SFC of the transesterified oil falls within the above range. However, by cooling the transesterified oil from a completely dissolved state to 25-60°C, preferably 30-50°C, over 30 minutes to 30 hours, and then holding it at that temperature for 30 minutes to 80 hours, preferably 1-70 hours, it is possible to preferably satisfy the above range of SFC.

[0066] In addition, in the crystallization of the present invention, when cooling the completely dissolved transesterified fat until it reaches the above range of SFCs, rapid cooling, slow cooling, or a combination of these methods may be used to adjust the SFC to the above range. However, in order to facilitate the separation of the crystalline portion and the liquid portion of the obtained crystallized slurry and to improve the yield of the obtained liquid portion, slow cooling is preferable below the temperature range in which the crystals of the transesterified fat precipitate.

[0067] In the present invention, when the transesterified oil is rapidly cooled, the cooling rate is preferably 5°C / hour or more, more preferably 5 to 20°C / hour, and when it is slowly cooled, the cooling rate is preferably 0.3 to 3.5°C / hour, more preferably 0.5 to 3.0°C / hour.

[0068] Here, below the temperature range in which crystals of the transesterified fat precipitate, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the yield of the fat (A-1) to go through a crystal maturation process for the crystals precipitated by cooling once or twice during the cooling process to a temperature in which a suitable SFC within the above range can be obtained. In the present invention, the crystal maturation process refers to an operation that makes the crystals more uniform and at the same time promotes further crystallization to create a crystalline state in which the crystalline part and the liquid part can be easily filtered apart, and as a result improves the yield.

[0069] Specifically, this involves maintaining a constant temperature of 25-60°C, preferably 30-50°C, for 30 minutes to 80 hours. There is no particular upper limit on the number of times the maturation process can be performed, but it is usually done 5 times, preferably 4 times.

[0070] The crystallization conditions are adjusted as appropriate depending on the composition of the transesterified oil to be crystallized. Preferred crystallization conditions include, for example, rapid cooling from a completely dissolved state to 44-50°C in 1-2 hours, followed by one or more aging steps at any temperature until a crystallized slurry is obtained at 32-43°C. It is preferable to perform the temperature transitions between each aging step by slow cooling.

[0071] Methods for separating the crystalline and liquid parts include natural filtration, suction filtration, press filtration, centrifugal separation, and combinations thereof. However, to simplify and efficiently perform the separation operation, it is preferable to select press filtration using a filter press or belt press. When transesterified oils and fats crystallize, if the solid fat content at the crystallization temperature is high, resulting in a highly viscous crystallized slurry or appearing lumpy, press filtration is particularly suitable because the pressure during press filtration will cause it to become a slurry.

[0072] When separation is performed by compressive filtration, the pressure is preferably 0.2 MPa or higher, more preferably 0.5 to 5 MPa. The pressure during compression may be gradually increased from the beginning to the end of compression, in which case the rate of pressure increase may be 1 MPa / min or less, preferably 0.5 MPa / min or less, and even more preferably 0.1 MPa / min or less.

[0073] As described above, oil and fat (A-1) can be obtained by solvent fractionation or crystallization.

[0074] -Oils and fats (A-2)- In the oil and fat (A-2), the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 40% by mass or more, preferably 42% by mass or more, and more preferably 44% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of S3 triglycerides is 60% by mass or less, preferably 55% by mass or less, more preferably 54% by mass or less, 52% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less.

[0075] In the oil and fat (A-2), the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 2.5% by mass or more, preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 3.2% by mass or more, 3.4% by mass or more, or 3.5% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of the monoacid-type S3 triglycerides is 7% by mass or less, preferably 6.5% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or less, 5.5% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less.

[0076] In the oil and fat (A-2), the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides is 2% by mass or more, preferably 2.5% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides is 10% by mass or less, preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less.

[0077] In the oil and fat (A-2), the total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 60% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of triglycerides is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 70% by mass or less, 68% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, etc.

[0078] In the oil and fat (A-2), the content of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 12% by mass or more, or 14% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 18% by mass or less, or 16% by mass or less. The content of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.6% by mass or more, 0.8% by mass or more, or 1% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 5% by mass or less, more preferably 4% by mass or less, 3% by mass or less, or 2% by mass or less. The content of U3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 4% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, 2% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less, with a lower limit of 0% by mass.

[0079] The ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the fats and oils (A-2) is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 1.5 or more or 2 or more, with an upper limit of preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, 3.5 or less or 3 or less. Furthermore, the SFC-35 of the fats and oils (A-2) is preferably 25% or more, more preferably 26% or more, 28% or more or 30% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 45% or less, more preferably 44% or less, 42% or less or 40% or less.

[0080] The SFC-20 of the oil and fat (A-2) is preferably 60% or more, more preferably 65% ​​or more or 70% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking, and there is no particular upper limit, but it may be 90% or less, 85% or less, 80% or less, etc.

[0081] Preferably, a lauric random transesterification oil is used as the oil (A-2). A preferred embodiment of the oil (A-2) will be described below.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the oil (A-2) is selected as a randomly transesterified oil comprising an oil (A-2-1) having a La content of 35-60% by mass in its constituent fatty acid residues, and an oil (A-2-2) having a P content of 35-50% by mass and an St content of 45-60% by mass in its constituent fatty acid residues. Here, La represents a lauric acid residue (the same applies hereafter).

[0083] The oils and fats (A-2-1) are not particularly limited as long as they are edible oils and fats in which the La content in the constituent fatty acid residues is 35 to 60% by mass. Examples include palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and oil and fat blends containing these, which have been subjected to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and transesterification.

[0084] Furthermore, the content of oleic acid residue O in the constituent fatty acid residues of the oil (A-2-1) is preferably 5 to 25% by mass, and more preferably 10 to 20% by mass. In addition, the iodine value of the oil (A-2-1) is preferably 5 to 30, and more preferably 5 to 25.

[0085] As the oil (A-2-2), any edible oil in which the P content and St content in the constituent fatty acid residues are within the above range can be used, but preferably examples include highly hydrogenated palm oil, highly hydrogenated palm fractionated soft oil such as palm olein and palm super olein, and more preferably highly hydrogenated palm oil is used.

[0086] Furthermore, when using highly hydrogenated oil as the oil (A-2-2), it is preferable to use highly hydrogenated oil with an iodine value of 3 or less, and more preferable to use highly hydrogenated oil with an iodine value of 1 or less, from the viewpoint of substantially eliminating the presence of trans fatty acids.

[0087] When producing fat (A-2) by random transesterification, from the viewpoint of easily adjusting conditions such as the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher and the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides to the above-mentioned preferred range, it is preferable that the fat (A-2-1) in the fat (A-2-1) mixture before transesterification and fat (A-2-2) contains 40% by mass or more, and more preferably 45% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of obtaining fat (A-2) with good compatibility with other fats that constitute the oil phase of the hard butter composition, such as fats (A-1) and fats (A-3), it is preferable that the content of fat (A-2-1) in the fat (A-2-1) mixture is 85% by mass or less. The remainder is occupied by fat (A-2-2).

[0088] Random transesterification is performed on the oil and fat compound of oil and fat (A-2-1) and oil and fat (A-2-2). Random transesterification may be performed using a chemical catalyst or an enzyme. Random transesterification may be performed in the same manner as described in relation to the method for producing oil and fat (A-1).

[0089] -Oils and fats (A-3)- In the oil and fat (A-3), the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 2% by mass or more, preferably 2.1% by mass or more or 2.2% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of S3 triglycerides is 4% by mass or less, preferably 3.5% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, 2.8% by mass or less, 2.6% by mass or less or 2.5% by mass or less.

[0090] In the oil and fat (A-3), the content of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is 1.9% by mass or more, preferably 2% by mass or more. The upper limit of the content of the monoacid-type S3 triglycerides is 2.5% by mass or less, preferably 2.4% by mass or less, or 2.2% by mass or less.

[0091] In the oil and fat (A-3), the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides is 2% by mass or more, preferably 2.5% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, 3.5% by mass or more, or 4% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides is 10% by mass or less, preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less.

[0092] In the oil and fat (A-3), the total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 92% by mass or more, 94% by mass or more, or 95% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content of triglycerides is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 99% by mass or less, 98% by mass or less.

[0093] In the oil and fat (A-3), the content of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 75% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, 82% by mass or more, 84% by mass or more, or 85% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 94% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less. The content of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 4% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, 5.5% by mass or more, or 6% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 12% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, or 9% by mass or less. The content of U3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is preferably 4% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or less, 2% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less, with a lower limit of 0% by mass.

[0094] The ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the fats and oils (A-3) is preferably 4 or more, more preferably 5 or more or 6 or more, with an upper limit of preferably 20 or less, more preferably 18 or less, 16 or less, 14 or less or 13 or less. Furthermore, the SFC-35 of the fats and oils (A-3) is preferably 1% or more, more preferably 2% or more, 4% or more or 5% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 12% or less, more preferably 10% or less, 8% or less or 7% or less.

[0095] The SFC-20 of the oil and fat (A-3) is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 55% or more, 60% or more, 65% or more, or 70% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 85% or less, 80% or less, 75% or less.

[0096] Preferably, oils and fats (A-3) that have undergone deodorization treatment by a conventional method are used. A preferred embodiment of oils and fats (A-3) will be described below.

[0097] In one preferred embodiment, the oil (A-3) is a mixture of two or more oils that have been deodorized by a conventional method.

[0098] The oils and fats used to obtain such a mixture of oils and fats are not particularly limited. For example, two or more can be selected and mixed from various vegetable oils and fats such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, rice oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, monkey fat, mango fat, milk fat, beef fat, lard, cocoa butter, fish oil, whale oil, and other animal oils and fats, as well as oils and fats that have been subjected to one or more physical or chemical treatments such as hydrogenation, fractionation, or transesterification, and then deodorized by conventional methods, to obtain the above-mentioned mixture of oils and fats.

[0099] As described above, in one embodiment, fat and oil (A) includes one or more fats and oils selected from the group consisting of fats and oils (A-1), fats and oils (A-2), and fats and oils (A-3). For example, fats and oils (A) may include only one of fats and oils (A-1), fats and oils (A-2), and fats and oils (A-3), or it may include a combination of two of fats and oils (A-1), fats and oils (A-2), and fats and oils (A-3), or it may include a combination of all of fats and oils (A-1), fats and oils (A-2), and fats and oils (A-3).

[0100] In order to easily adjust the conditions related to the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid type S3 triglyceride content, as well as the total content of asymmetric triglycerides such as PPO, PStO, and StStO, the content of each triglyceride such as S2U, SU2, and U3, and the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35, etc., to the above preferred range, and as a result, to realize an oily confectionery that is excellent in heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties while effectively suppressing the occurrence of cracks, it is preferable that the fat (A) is based on fat (A-3) and contains a predetermined amount of one or more of fats (A-1) and fats (A-2). Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, fat (A) contains fat (A-3) and one or more of fats (A-1) and fats (A-2).

[0101] The following describes particularly preferred embodiments from the viewpoint of achieving oil-based confectionery that effectively suppresses cracking while also exhibiting excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties.

[0102] -A hard butter composition containing a combination of fats and oils (A-3) and fats and oils (A-1)- In one particularly preferred embodiment, the hard butter composition of the present invention comprises a combination of fat (A-3) and fat (A-1) as fat (A). Hereinafter, such an embodiment will also be referred to as "Embodiment 1".

[0103] In Embodiment 1, the content of fat (A-1) in fat (A) is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, or 30% by mass or more. A fat (A-1) content of 20% by mass or more is preferable because it can significantly suppress the occurrence of cracks. The upper limit of the fat (A-1) content is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or less. A fat (A-1) content of 50% by mass or less is preferable because it makes it easier to realize oily confectionery with outstanding heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties. The remainder of fat (A) may be fat (A-3). Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, fat (A) contains fat (A-1) in an amount of 10 to 60% by mass, with the remainder being fat (A-3).

[0104] In Embodiment 1, the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is as previously described for oil (A), preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 3.5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 4% by mass or more or 4.5% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less or 6% by mass or less.

[0105] In Embodiment 1, the content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is as previously described for oil (A), but is preferably 2.2% by mass or more, more preferably 2.4% by mass or more, 2.6% by mass or more, or 2.8% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 4.5% by mass or less, more preferably 4% by mass or less, or 3.5% by mass or less.

[0106] In Embodiment 1, the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides is as described above for oil (A), but is preferably 6% by mass or more, more preferably 8% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or 12% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 18% by mass or less, or 16% by mass or less.

[0107] Furthermore, the preferred ranges for the total content of triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, the content of S2U triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, the content of SU2 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and the content of U3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher are as previously described for oils and fats (A).

[0108] In Embodiment 1, the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of oil and fat (A) is as previously described for oil and fat (A), but is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 5.5 or more or 6 or more, with an upper limit of preferably 9 or less, more preferably 8.5 or less, 8 or less or 7.5 or less. Furthermore, the SFC-35 of oil and fat (A) is preferably 6.5% or more, more preferably 7% or more, 7.5% or more or 8% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 10% or less, more preferably 9.5% or less or 9 or less.

[0109] In Embodiment 1, the SFC-20 of the oil (A) is preferably 60% or more, more preferably 62% or more, 64% or more, or 65% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example it may be 70% or less, 69.5% or less, 69% or less, etc.

[0110] -A hard butter composition containing a combination of fats and oils (A-3) and fats and oils (A-2)- In another particularly preferred embodiment, the hard butter composition of the present invention comprises, as fat (A), a combination of fat (A-3) and fat (A-2). Hereinafter, such an embodiment will also be referred to as "Embodiment 2".

[0111] In Embodiment 2, the content of fat (A-2) in fat (A) is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 6% by mass or more, even more preferably 8% by mass or more, or 10% by mass or more. A fat (A-2) content of 6% by mass or more is preferable because it can significantly suppress the occurrence of cracks. The upper limit of the fat (A-2) content is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less. A fat (A-2) content of 20% by mass or less is preferable because it makes it easier to realize oily confectionery with outstanding heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties. The remainder of fat (A) may be fat (A-3). Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, fat (A) contains fat (A-2) in an amount of 5 to 30% by mass, with the remainder being fat (A-3).

[0112] In Embodiment 2, the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is as previously described for oil (A), preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 4% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 14% by mass or less, 12% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less.

[0113] In Embodiment 2, the content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher is as previously described for oil (A), preferably 2% by mass or more, more preferably 2.1% by mass or more or 2.2% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 3% by mass or less, more preferably 2.8% by mass or less, 2.6% by mass or less or 2.5% by mass or less.

[0114] In Embodiment 2, the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides is as described above for oil (A), but is preferably 4% by mass or more, more preferably 4.2% by mass or more, with an upper limit of preferably 4.5% by mass or less, more preferably 4.4% by mass or less.

[0115] Furthermore, the preferred ranges for the total content of triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, the content of S2U triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, the content of SU2 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and the content of U3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher are as previously described for oils and fats (A).

[0116] In Embodiment 2, the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of oil (A) is as previously described for oil (A), but is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 5.5 or more or 6 or more, with an upper limit of preferably 9 or less, more preferably 8.5 or less, 8 or less or 7.5 or less. Also, the SFC-35 of oil (A) is preferably 6.5% or more, more preferably 7% or more, 7.5% or more or 8% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 12% or less, more preferably 11% or less or 10% or less.

[0117] In Embodiment 2, the SFC-20 of the oil (A) is preferably 60% or more, more preferably 65% ​​or more, 66% or more, 68% or more, or 70% or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing cracking, and the upper limit is not particularly limited, but for example it may be 78% or less, 76% or less, 75% or less, etc.

[0118] The fat (A) used in the hard butter composition of the present invention is characterized in that, after being mixed with cocoa butter and seed tempered, it contains a certain amount or more of β-prime (β') type crystals when stored at 20°C.

[0119] In one embodiment, fat (A) is mixed with cocoa butter so that its content is 1 to 50% by mass, completely melted, and seed tempered. After standing at 15°C for 1 day and then at 20°C for 14 days, the proportion of β'-type crystals is 2% or more. The crystalline form of the fat can be measured by the method described in the "Measurement of the crystalline form of fat" section below.

[0120] The oily confectionery using the hard butter composition of the present invention can suppress the occurrence of cracks when a food product containing a thin film of the oily confectionery is manufactured. This is presumed to be because oily confectionery manufactured using fat (A) contains a certain amount of β'-type crystals, and when shrinkage occurs in the dense packing of β'-type crystals, the sparse packing of interposed β'-type crystals inhibits or mitigates the shrinkage, thereby suppressing the occurrence of cracks.

[0121] In addition to the fat (A) described above, the hard butter composition of the present invention may contain any auxiliary components within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention or impair the flavor and texture of oily confectionery containing the hard butter composition of the present invention.

[0122] Examples of auxiliary components that the hard butter composition of the present invention may contain include emulsifiers, antioxidants, colorants, and flavorings.

[0123] Examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and lecithin. In the present invention, it is preferable to use one or more of glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and lecithin. When using the above emulsifiers, the emulsifier content in the hard butter composition is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 5% by mass, and more preferably 0.03 to 3% by mass.

[0124] As an antioxidant, there are no limitations as long as it does not impair the flavor, but tocopherol or tea extract is preferred.

[0125] Oily confectionery can be manufactured using the hard butter composition of the present invention. The hard butter composition of the present invention can be suitably used in the manufacture of chocolates, particularly tempered chocolates. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the hard butter composition of the present invention is for tempered chocolates. By using the hard butter composition of the present invention, the occurrence of cracks can be suppressed in thin-film chocolates, particularly tempered chocolates. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the hard butter composition of the present invention is for suppressing cracks in thin-film chocolates and for suppressing cracks in tempered chocolates.

[0126] [Oil-based confectionery] An oily confectionery can be manufactured using the hard butter composition of the present invention. The present invention also provides such an oily confectionery.

[0127] The oil-based confectionery of the present invention is characterized by containing the hard butter composition of the present invention.

[0128] In one embodiment, the oily confectionery of the present invention contains the hard butter composition of the present invention and satisfies the following conditions (1) and (2). Condition (1) The oil content (A) in the oil phase is 1 to 50% by mass Condition (2) The content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is 1.7% by mass or more.

[0129] -Condition (1)- Condition (1) relates to the content of fat (A) in the oil phase of oily confectionery.

[0130] In the oil-based confectionery of the present invention, the content of fat (A) in the oil phase is 1% by mass or more, preferably 3% by mass or more, and more preferably 5% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking. The upper limit of the fat (A) content is 50% by mass or less, preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of realizing an oil-based confectionery with excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties.

[0131] Regarding fat (A), including its preferred embodiment, it is as described in the [Hard Butter Composition] section above. When fat (A) contains fat (A-1), the content of fat (A-1) in the oil phase of the oily confectionery is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking, and its upper limit is preferably 12% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of realizing an oily confectionery with excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties. Furthermore, when fat (A) contains fat (A-2), the content of fat (A-2) in the oil phase of the oily confectionery is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking, and its upper limit is preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of realizing an oily confectionery with excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties.

[0132] -Condition (2)- Condition (2) relates to the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase of oily confectionery.

[0133] In the oil-based confectionery of the present invention, the content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is 1.7% by mass or more, preferably 1.8% by mass or more, more preferably 2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 2.2% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking. A content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase of 2.2% by mass or more is preferable because it significantly suppresses the occurrence of cracking. The upper limit of the S3 triglyceride content is preferably 6.5% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass or less, 5.5% by mass or less, 5% by mass or less, 4.5% by mass or less, or 4% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of realizing an oil-based confectionery with excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties.

[0134] -Condition (3)- The oil-based confectionery of the present invention is preferably further satisfied with the following condition (3). Condition (3) The total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the oil phase is 0.2 to 5% by mass.

[0135] In addition to conditions (1) and (2), fulfilling condition (3) can more effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks.

[0136] In condition (3), the total content of the asymmetric triglycerides in the oil phase is 0.2% by mass or more, preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.5% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, or 2.5% by mass or more, with an upper limit of 5% by mass or less, preferably 4.8% by mass or less, more preferably 4.6% by mass or less, or 4.5% by mass or less.

[0137] -Condition (4)- The oil-based confectionery of the present invention is preferably further satisfied with the following condition (4). Condition (4) The ratio of the solid fat content of the oil phase at 25°C (SFC-25%) to the solid fat content at 35°C (SFC-35%) (SFC-25 / SFC-35) is 20-90

[0138] In addition to conditions (1) and (2), satisfying condition (4) makes it easier to create oil-based confectionery that exhibits good melt-in-the-mouth properties while suppressing the occurrence of cracks, making it preferable.

[0139] In condition (4), the oil phase ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 is 20 or more, preferably 22 or more, 24 or more, 26 or more, 28 or more, or 30 or more, from the viewpoint of realizing an oily confectionery that melts well in the mouth, and its upper limit is 90 or less, preferably 85 or less, 80 or less, 75 or less, 70 or less, or 65 or less.

[0140] -Other suitable conditions- Other conditions that the oil-based confectionery of the present invention may more preferably satisfy will be described below.

[0141] The SFC-35 in the oil phase is preferably 1% or more, more preferably 1.5% or more, 2% or more, 2.2% or more, 2.4% or more, or 2.5% or more, with an upper limit preferably 5% or less, more preferably 4.5% or less, 4.4% or less, 4.2% or less, or 4% or less.

[0142] The SFC-20 content of the oil phase is preferably 75% or more, more preferably 76% or more, 78% or more, or 80% or more, with an upper limit of preferably 90% or less, more preferably 88% or less, 86% or less, or 85% or less.

[0143] The content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.6% by mass or more, or 0.8% by mass or more, and its upper limit is preferably 2% by mass or less, more preferably 1.8% by mass or less, 1.6% by mass or less, or 1.5% by mass or less.

[0144] The total content of triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 92% by mass or more, and there is no particular upper limit, but it can be, for example, 99% by mass or less, 98% by mass or less, 97% by mass or less.

[0145] The content of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 82% by mass or more, or 84% by mass or more, and its upper limit is preferably 88% by mass or less, 87% by mass or less, or 86% by mass or less.

[0146] The content of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is preferably 5.5% by mass or more, more preferably 6% by mass or more, and its upper limit is preferably 9% by mass or less, more preferably 8.5% by mass or less, or 8% by mass or less.

[0147] The content of U3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher in the oil phase is preferably 1.5% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or less, 0.8% by mass or less, 0.6% by mass or less, or 0.5% by mass or less. The lower limit may be 0% by mass, but is usually 0.1% by mass or more, 0.2% by mass or more, etc.

[0148] In the oil-based confectionery of the present invention, the oil phase preferably contains the above-mentioned fat (A) and cocoa butter. From the viewpoint of enjoying the effects of the present invention to the fullest extent, the total content of fat (A) and cocoa butter in the oil phase is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 95% by mass or more, 96% by mass or more, or 98% by mass or more. The upper limit of the total content is not particularly limited and may be 100% by mass.

[0149] As previously mentioned, the preferred range for the content of fats and oils (A-1) and (A-2) in the oil phase of the oil-based confectionery of the present invention is as described above. From the viewpoint of compatibility with cocoa butter, it is preferable to use the above preferred range. Fats and oils (A-1) can be classified as a non-lauric, non-tempered hard butter, and from the viewpoint of compatibility with cocoa butter, it is preferable to have a content of 12% by mass or less in the oil phase of the oil-based confectionery of the present invention. Fats and oils (A-2) can also be classified as a lauric, non-tempered hard butter, and from the viewpoint of compatibility with cocoa butter, it is preferable to have a content of 8% by mass or less or 7% by mass or less in the oil phase of the oil-based confectionery of the present invention. On the other hand, fats and oils (A-3) have excellent compatibility with cocoa butter and can be used without any particular content restrictions.

[0150] The oil-based confectionery of the present invention is preferably chocolate, particularly tempered chocolate. Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, the oil-based confectionery of the present invention is tempered chocolate. As described above, by using the hard butter composition of the present invention, the occurrence of cracks can be suppressed in thin-film chocolates, particularly tempered chocolate. Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, the oil-based confectionery of the present invention is thin-film forming chocolate (preferably thin-film forming tempered chocolate).

[0151] In this invention, "chocolate" is a concept that encompasses not only chocolate and semi-chocolate as defined by the National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council, but also processed foods made from fats and oils such as raw chocolate, white chocolate, and colored chocolate, which utilize cocoa raw materials such as cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. It broadly refers to products obtained by mixing raw materials selected from various powdered foods such as cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and powdered milk, as well as fats and oils, sugars, emulsifiers, flavorings, and colorings in any proportion, and then performing rolling and conching processes by conventional methods.

[0152] [Foods containing thin films made from oily confectionery] As described above, the oily confectionery of the present invention can suppress the occurrence of cracks when it is in the form of a thin film. Therefore, the oily confectionery of the present invention can be suitably used in the manufacture of food products containing a thin film made of the oily confectionery. The present invention also provides food products containing such thin films made of oily confectionery (hereinafter also simply referred to as "food products of the present invention").

[0153] The food product of the present invention is characterized by containing a thin film made of the oily confectionery of the present invention.

[0154] The food products of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they include a thin film made of the oily confectionery of the present invention, but examples include food products in which a food material is coated with the oily confectionery of the present invention, and oily confectionery products in which a food material is placed inside.

[0155] Food ingredients can be selected as appropriate depending on the type of food, but examples include ganache, chocolate center, nuts, baked goods such as cookies, shortbread, butter cakes, cream puffs, and pies, breads such as brioche and Danish pastries, jams, jellies, preserved fruits, alcoholic beverages, sugar syrups, creams, marzipan, caramel, gianduja, etc.

[0156] In one preferred embodiment, the oily confectionery of the present invention is chocolate (preferably tempered chocolate), and the food of the present invention is a composite chocolate food, i.e., a chocolate-coated food, in which a food material is coated with the chocolate. In such a chocolate-coated food, the coating chocolate portion forms a thin film.

[0157] In another preferred embodiment, the oily confectionery of the present invention is chocolate (preferably tempered chocolate), and the food of the present invention is a composite chocolate food, i.e., shell chocolate, in which food ingredients are placed inside the chocolate. In such shell chocolate, the shell portion is a thin film.

[0158] In the food product of the present invention, the thickness of the thin film (coating, shell) made of the oily confectionery of the present invention is preferably 3 mm or less, more preferably 2.5 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1.8 mm or less, 1.6 mm or less, or 1.5 mm or less. The lower limit of the thickness of the thin film may be determined according to the specific specifications of the food product, but is usually 0.1 mm or more, 0.3 mm or more, etc.

[0159] The food product of the present invention can suppress the occurrence of cracks in a thin film made of oily confectionery, thereby preventing and reducing damage to the appearance of the food product and changes in the quality of the composite food material.

[0160] [Methods to prevent cracking in chocolates] The hard butter composition of the present invention can be used to suppress cracking of chocolates. The present invention also provides a method for suppressing such cracking of chocolates.

[0161] The present invention provides a method for suppressing cracking in chocolates (hereinafter also simply referred to as "the present invention's crack suppression method"), characterized in that the hard butter composition of the present invention is used as one of the raw materials in the production of chocolates.

[0162] In one embodiment, the crack suppression method of the present invention involves using the hard butter composition of the present invention in the production of chocolates such that the content of fat (A) in the oil phase is in the range of 1 to 50% by mass. Details of the hard butter composition of the present invention and the fat (A) contained therein are as described in the [Hard Butter Composition] section above.

[0163] In the crack suppression method of the present invention, the content of fat (A) in the oil phase is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of suppressing cracking. The upper limit of the fat (A) content is 50% by mass or less, preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, or 30% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of achieving chocolates with excellent heat resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties while suppressing cracking.

[0164] Furthermore, when fat (A) contains fat (A-1), it is preferable to use the hard butter composition of the present invention such that the content of fat (A) in the oil phase of the chocolate is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 12% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less. Also, when fat (A) contains fat (A-2), it is preferable to use the hard butter composition of the present invention such that the content of fat (A-2) in the oil phase of the chocolate is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and the upper limit is preferably 8% by mass or less, more preferably 7% by mass or less, 6% by mass or less, or 5% by mass or less.

[0165] The crack suppression method of the present invention can effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks in thin-film chocolates, particularly tempered chocolates. [Examples]

[0166] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below. In the following, unless otherwise specified, "parts" means "parts by mass".

[0167] <<Consideration 1>> <Manufacturing Example 1> (Manufacturing of oils and fats (1)) 37 parts of highly hydrogenated palm oil (which had been hydrogenated to palm oil with an iodine value of 1 or less), 19 parts of palm oil, and 44 parts of palm stearin were mixed together in a molten state to obtain an oil and fat compound. The temperature of this oil and fat compound was adjusted to 90°C in a four-necked flask, and sodium methoxide was added at a ratio of 0.2 parts per 100 parts of the oil and fat compound. The mixture was then heated and mixed under vacuum for 1 hour. After this, citric acid was added to neutralize the sodium methoxide, and the mixture was purified by a conventional method to obtain oil and fat E-1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "E-1"), which is a randomly transesterified oil and fat.

[0168] This E-1 was placed in a jacketed glass crystallization tank and heated to 70°C while stirring at 40 rpm until completely dissolved. Then it was rapidly cooled at 15°C / hour until the oil temperature reached 48°C, and a 4-hour maturation process was carried out at each of the following temperatures: 48°C, 44°C, and 42°C to obtain a crystallized slurry. The temperature transition from 48°C to 44°C was carried out by slow cooling at 2°C / hour, and the temperature transition from 44°C to 42°C was carried out by slow cooling at 1°C / hour.

[0169] This crystallized slurry was filtered and separated using a membrane filter to obtain fractionated soft tallow oil. The fractionated soft tallow oil was then pressed at 3 MPa to obtain pressed soft tallow oil. The combined fractionated and pressed soft tallow oils were subjected to steam distillation under reduced pressure at 220°C for 90 minutes to deodorize them and obtain oil (1), which is a randomly transesterified oil. Oil (1) is the low-melting-point portion of E-1.

[0170] Oil and fat (1) is a random transesterified oil and fat having a content of 9.8% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 5.2% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 34.3% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides, and corresponds to "Oil and fat (A-1)".

[0171] <Manufacturing Example 2> (Manufacturing of oils and fats (2)) Forty-five parts of highly hydrogenated palm oil, which has been hydrogenated to palm oil until its iodine value is 1 or less, and 55 parts of palm oil were mixed together in a molten state to obtain an oil and fat compound. This oil and fat compound was subjected to a random transesterification reaction catalyzed with sodium methoxide and a purification process by a conventional method, in the same manner as in Production Example 1, to obtain oil and fat E-2 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "E-2"), which is a random transesterified oil and fat.

[0172] The obtained E-2 was placed in a jacketed glass crystallization tank and heated to 60°C while stirring at 40 rpm until completely dissolved. From there, it was rapidly cooled at 7°C / hour until the oil temperature reached 45°C. After maturation processes of 3 hours and 7 hours at 45°C and 39.5°C, respectively, a crystallized slurry was obtained. The temperature transition from 45°C to 39.5°C was performed by slow cooling at 0.7°C / hour. Using this crystallized slurry, in the same manner as in Production Example 1, (i) preparation of fractionated soft tallow oil by filtration and fractionation of the crystallized slurry, (ii) preparation of pressed soft tallow oil by pressing the fractionated soft tallow oil, and (iii) deodorization treatment of the combined oil of fractionated soft tallow oil and pressed soft tallow oil was performed to obtain oil (2), which is a randomly transesterified oil. Oil (2) is the low-melting-point portion of E-2.

[0173] Oils and fats (2) is a random transesterified oil and fat having a content of 7.6% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 3.1% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 35.0% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides, and corresponds to "Oils and fats (A-1)".

[0174] <Manufacturing Example 3> (Manufacturing of oils and fats (3)) Fifty parts of palm kernel oil and fifty parts of highly hydrogenated palm oil, which has been hydrogenated to palm oil until its iodine value is 1 or less, were stirred and mixed in a molten state to obtain an oil and fat compound.

[0175] This oil and fat mixture was heated in a four-necked flask at a temperature of 100°C under vacuum for 30 minutes. Then, in the same manner as in Production Example 1, a random transesterification reaction catalyzed with sodium methoxide and a purification process by a conventional method were carried out to obtain oil and fat (3), which is a random transesterified oil and fat.

[0176] Oils and fats (3) are random transesterified oils and fats having a content of 46.5% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 4.2% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 4.7% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides, and are classified as "Oils and fats (A-2)".

[0177] <Manufacturing Example 4> (Manufacturing of oils and fats (4)) Two types of oils and fats that have undergone deodorization treatment by conventional methods, namely, oil and fat A (content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 2.8% by mass; content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 2.4% by mass; total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides and StStO triglycerides: 7.5% by mass; content of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 84.7% by mass; content of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 8.5% by mass) 55 parts, 45 parts each of oil and fat B (containing 1.7% by mass of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher; 1.5% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher; 0% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides; 86.6% by mass of S2U triglycerides of CN44 or higher; and 7.3% by mass of SU2 triglycerides of CN44 or higher) were mixed in a molten state to obtain oil and fat (4).

[0178] Fats and oils (4) are fats and oils having a content of 2.3% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 2.0% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 4.2% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides, and are classified as "Fats and oils (A-3)".

[0179] <Manufacturing Example 5> (Manufacturing of oils and fats (5)) 42 parts of highly hydrogenated palm oil, which has been hydrogenated to palm oil until its iodine value is 1 or less, 27.5 parts of palm oil, and 30.5 parts of palm superolein were mixed together in a molten state to obtain an oil and fat compound. This oil and fat compound was subjected to a random transesterification reaction catalyzed with sodium methoxide and a purification process by a conventional method, in the same manner as in Production Example 1, to obtain oil and fat E-5 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "E-5"), which is a random transesterified oil and fat.

[0180] The obtained E-5 was placed in a jacketed glass crystallization tank and heated to 60°C while stirring at 50 rpm until completely dissolved. From there, it was rapidly cooled at 7°C / hour until the oil temperature reached 46°C. After maturation processes of 5 hours and 11 hours at 46°C and 35°C, respectively, a crystallized slurry was obtained. The temperature transition from 46°C to 35°C was performed by slow cooling at 2.2°C / hour. Using this crystallized slurry, in the same manner as in Production Example 1, (i) preparation of fractionated soft tallow oil by filtration and fractionation of the crystallized slurry, (ii) preparation of pressed soft tallow oil by pressing the fractionated soft tallow oil, and (iii) deodorization treatment of the combined fractionated soft tallow oil and pressed soft tallow oil were performed to obtain oil (5), which is a randomly transesterified oil. Oil (5) is the low-melting-point portion of E-5.

[0181] The oil (5) is a randomly transesterified oil having a content of 2.2% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 1.2% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 32.4% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides.

[0182] In addition, the following oils (6) to (7) were also prepared.

[0183] Oils and fats (6): Palm oil (intermediate melting point fraction obtained by two-stage fractionation of palm oil, iodine value 44.8) [Content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 2.2% by mass; Content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 1.8% by mass; Total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides: 5.5% by mass]

[0184] Oils and fats (7): Liquid oil (soybean oil) [Content of S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 0% by mass; Content of monoacid type S3 triglycerides of CN44 or higher: 0% by mass; Total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides: 0% by mass]

[0185] [Examples 1-11, Comparative Examples 1-5] (1) Production of hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-10 The above fats and oils (1) to (7) were stirred and mixed in a molten state according to the formulations in Table 1 to produce hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-10. Details of hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-10 are shown in Table 1 (the oil phase composition and the method for measuring solid fat content will be described later). Hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-7 correspond to examples of the present invention, and hard butter compositions HB-8 to HB-10 correspond to comparative examples.

[0186] [Table 1]

[0187] (2) Manufacturing of oil-based confectionery Using the obtained hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-10, tempered chocolate was produced as follows.

[0188] 148.7g of cocoa mass (oil content 55% by mass, containing cocoa butter), 126.4g of sugar, 23.9g of cocoa butter, 0.9g of lecithin, and 0.1g of flavoring were weighed into a bowl (total 300g). Next, hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-10 were added according to the proportions shown in Table 2. At this point, an appropriate amount of cocoa butter was added so that the total amount of oil in each sample was equal, i.e., the total amount of hard butter composition and cocoa butter for oil adjustment was 45g (total oil content in the sample: 150.7g). The contents of the bowl were thoroughly mixed and left to stand at 50°C for 2 hours to obtain chocolate mass. Water was placed in the bowl and the chocolate mass was cooled. When the temperature of the chocolate mass reached 31.6-32°C, seeds (0.2% of the chocolate mass) were added and seed tempering was performed by the conventional method. This produced tempered chocolate.

[0189] [Testing and Evaluation Methods] The following describes the testing and evaluation methods.

[0190] <Measurement of oil phase composition> The triglyceride (triacylglycerin) composition of the oil phase of the hard butter compositions and oily confectionery prepared in the examples and comparative examples was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in accordance with the "Japan Oil Chemists' Society Standards for Analysis of Fats and Oils 2.4.6.2-2013".

[0191] The various measurement conditions are as follows: (Detector): Differential refraction detector (Column): Docosyl column (DCS) (Mobile phase): Acetone:Acetonitrile = 65:35 (volume ratio) (Flow rate): 1ml / min (Column temperature): 40℃ (Back pressure): 3.8 MPa

[0192] <Measurement of solid fat content> The solid fat content of the hard butter compositions and oily confectionery (oil phase) prepared in the examples and comparative examples was measured by pulsed NMR (direct method) as described in AOCS official method cd16b-93. The solid fat content SFC-20 at 20°C was measured on samples that had been left to stand for 30 minutes in a constant temperature bath set to 20°C. Similarly, the solid fat content SFC-25 and SFC-35 at 25°C and 35°C were measured on samples that had been left to stand for 30 minutes in a constant temperature bath set to each temperature.

[0193] <Evaluation of cracking in oil-based confectionery> Using the oily confectionery (tempered chocolate) produced in the examples and comparative examples, a food product containing a thin film made of the oily confectionery was manufactured according to the following procedure, and cracking was evaluated.

[0194] -Manufacture of food products including thin films made from oily confectionery- The oil-based confectionery produced in the examples and comparative examples was heated to 30°C. Baumkuchen (Marukin's "Thick-Cut Baumkuchen") was dipped into this to coat the surface. After tapping off the excess chocolate, it was placed on cooking paper. Next, it was left to stand in a 15°C constant temperature bath for one day to solidify the chocolate, thereby producing chocolate-coated Baumkuchen (n=5).

[0195] -Crack evaluation- The manufactured chocolate-coated Baumkuchen were placed in a constant temperature bath at 20°C, and the number of foods with cracks in the surface chocolate coating was counted after 1 day (D+1), 3 days (D+3), 6 days (D+6), 10 days (D+10), and 13 days (D+13). At 13 days (D+13), if all 5 had cracks, it was marked as -; if 3 or 4 had cracks, it was marked as ±; and if 2 or fewer had cracks, it was marked as +. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0196] <Evaluation of heat resistance of oil-based confectionery> The oil-based confectionery produced in the examples and comparative examples was subjected to a heat resistance test using the following procedure to evaluate its heat resistance. Specifically, the samples (oil-based confectionery) were left to stand for 30 minutes in a constant temperature bath set to 1°C increments within the range of 25°C to 35°C. The surface of the samples was then touched with a finger to check for the presence of fingerprints and stickiness, and the lowest temperature at which fingerprints or stickiness occurred is shown in Table 3. In this test, a higher lowest temperature at which fingerprints or stickiness occurred is considered to indicate better heat resistance.

[0197] <Evaluation of melt-in-the-mouth properties of oily confectionery> The oil-based confectionery produced in the examples and comparative examples was subjected to sensory evaluation by 10 expert panelists according to the evaluation criteria below. The total scores of the 10 expert panelists were calculated, and the scores were assigned as follows: +++ for 45-50 points, ++ for 38-44 points, + for 30-37 points, - for 14-29 points, and -- for 0-13 points. The results are shown in Table 3. Prior to the evaluation, the panelists agreed on the degree of sensory evaluation corresponding to each score. Products with a score of "+" or higher were considered acceptable.

[0198] Melt-in-the-mouth evaluation criteria: 5 points: Excellent 3 points: Good 1 point: Slightly poor 0 points: Poor

[0199] [Table 2]

[0200] [Table 3]

[0201] In the case of tempered chocolate in which the oil phase consists solely of cocoa butter (CB), when food products containing a thin film of this chocolate were manufactured, it was confirmed that cracks occurred in half of the food products after 6 days of storage, and cracks occurred in all of the food products after 10 days of storage (Comparative Example 1). Furthermore, when tempered chocolates using hard butter compositions HB-8 to HB-10, in which the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid-type S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher fall outside the scope of the present invention, and when food products containing a thin film of the chocolate were manufactured in the same manner, it was confirmed that cracking occurred in half of the food products after 6 to 10 days of storage, and cracking occurred in all of the food products after 13 days of storage (Comparative Examples 2 to 5). In contrast, oily confectionery manufactured using hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-7, which have an S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and a monoacid-type S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher within the range of the present invention, to satisfy conditions (1) and (2), showed no cracking after 6 days of storage, and even after 13 days of storage, there were 3 or fewer cracked products (Examples 1 to 11). In particular, it was confirmed that cracking was suppressed more effectively when a hard butter composition was used that contained at least a portion of fats and oils (A-1) or fats and oils (A-2) and resulted in tempered chocolate having (1) a S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher of 2.2% by mass or more, or (2) a hard butter composition that resulted in tempered chocolate having a total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the range of 2.5 to 5% by mass (Examples 3, 4, 6-11). Furthermore, it was confirmed that tempered chocolates using hard butter compositions HB-1 to HB-7 all exhibited good heat resistance (Examples 1 to 11).

[0202] Furthermore, it was confirmed that when a hard butter composition is used that results in tempered chocolate with SFC-25 / SFC-35 values ​​in the range of 2 to 13 and SFC-25 / SFC-35 values ​​in the oil phase in the range of 20 to 90, a good melt-in-the-mouth texture is easily achieved (Examples 1 to 10). In particular, for hard butter compositions containing at least a portion of fat (A-1), it was confirmed that exceptionally good melt-in-the-mouth properties can be achieved when the hard butter composition is used in an amount such that the fat (A-1) content in the oil phase is 10% by mass or less (Examples 2, 3, 5-8). Similarly, for hard butter compositions containing at least a portion of fat (A-2), it was confirmed that exceptionally good melt-in-the-mouth properties can be achieved when the hard butter composition is used in an amount such that the fat (A-2) content in the oil phase is 5% by mass or less (Examples 9, 10).

[0203] <Consideration 2> The behavior of the crystalline form of fats and oils during storage was investigated using hard butter compositions HB-1, 6, 7, 9, and 10.

[0204] First, the hard butter composition and cocoa butter were thoroughly mixed in a molten state according to the proportions shown in Table 4 (a formulation simulating the oil phase of oily confectionery in Study 1). The resulting mixture was cooled while stirring, and when the temperature reached 31.6-32°C, seeds (0.1% of the oil) were added, and seed tempering was performed by conventional methods. 10g of each mixture was filled into plastic cups, aged at 15°C for one day, and then stored at 20°C. The crystalline form of the fats and oils was measured at 1 day (D+1), 5 days (D+5), 10 days (D+10), and 14 days (D+14) using the method described below. The percentage of each crystalline form was determined based on the integrated intensity of the peaks derived from β-type and β'-type crystals. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0205] -Measurement of the crystalline form of fats and oils- The crystalline form of the oils and fats was measured using an X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku Corporation "RINT2000"). The various measurement conditions were as follows. (Short plane spacing of fat crystals) 2θ = 15~30 degrees (Sampling width) 0.02 (Scan speed) 6.00θ / min (Divergent slit) 1 degree (Divergence vertical limiting slit) 5mm (Scattering slit) 1 degree (Emitting slit) 0.3mm (Number of times accumulated) 3 times

[0206] [Table 4]

[0207] In formulation 1 (a formulation simulating the oil phase of the oily confectionery of Comparative Example 1), where the oil phase consisted solely of cocoa butter, the amount of β' crystals was less than 2% after a 14-day storage period. In formulations 5 and 6 (formulations simulating the oil phase of the oily confectionery of Comparative Examples 5 and 3, respectively), which used hard butter compositions HB-9 and HB-10, where the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid-type S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher were outside the scope of the present invention, the amount of β' crystals was also less than 2% after a 14-day storage period. On the other hand, in formulations 2, 3, and 4 (formulations that simulate the oil phase of oily confectionery in Examples 1, 9, and 8, respectively) using hard butter compositions HB-1, HB-4, and HB-6, in which the S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher and the monoacid-type S3 triglyceride content of CN44 or higher are within the range of the present invention, the β' crystal content was generally 2% or higher after a storage period of 14 days. Considering the results of Study 1 and Study 2, it is presumed that oily confectionery made using the hard butter composition of the present invention contains a certain amount of β'-type crystals, and that when shrinkage occurs in the dense packing of β'-type crystals, the sparse packing of intervening β'-type crystals inhibits or mitigates the shrinkage, thereby suppressing the occurrence of cracks.

Claims

1. A hard butter composition containing the following fat (A). Oils and fats (A): Oils and fats having a content of 2 to 50% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a content of 1.9% by mass or more of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher. however, CN indicates the total number of carbon atoms in the constituent fatty acid residues of the triglyceride. S indicates a saturated fatty acid residue. S3 triglycerides are trisaturated triglycerides.

2. The hard butter composition according to claim 1, wherein the total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the fat (A) is 4 to 40% by mass. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue.

3. The hard butter composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio SFC-25 / SFC-35 of the solid fat content of the oil (A) at 25°C to the solid fat content at 35°C is 2 to 13.

4. The hard butter composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fat (A) comprises one or more fats selected from the group consisting of the following fats (A-1), fats (A-2), and fats (A-3). Oils and fats (A-1): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 5 to 15% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 2.5 to 7% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 30 to 50% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. Oils and fats (A-2): Randomly transesterified oils and fats having a content of 40 to 60% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 2.5 to 7% by mass of monoacid-type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 2 to 10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. Oils and fats (A-3): Oils and fats having a content of 2 to 4% by mass of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, a content of 1.9 to 2.5% by mass of monoacid type S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher, and a total content of 2 to 10% by mass of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue.

5. A hard butter composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fat (A) is mixed with cocoa butter so that the fat (A) content is 1 to 50% by mass, the mixture is completely melted and seed tempered, and then left to stand at 15°C for 1 day, and then left to stand at 20°C for 14 days, and the proportion of β' type crystals is 2% or more.

6. A hard butter composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, for use with tempered chocolates.

7. A hard butter composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, for suppressing cracking of tempered chocolates.

8. An oily confectionery containing the hard butter composition described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2). Condition (1) The content of oil (A) in the oil phase is 1 to 50% by mass. Condition (2) The content of S3 triglycerides with a CN of 44 or higher in the oil phase is 1.7% by mass or more.

9. The oil-based confectionery according to claim 8, further satisfying the following condition (3). Condition (3) The total content of asymmetric triglycerides selected from the group consisting of PPO triglycerides, PStO triglycerides, and StStO triglycerides in the oil phase is 0.2 to 5% by mass. however, P indicates a palmitic acid residue. St indicates a stearic acid residue. O indicates an oleic acid residue.

10. An oil-based confectionery according to claim 8 or 9, further satisfying the following condition (4). Condition (4) The ratio of the solid fat content of the oil phase at 25°C (SFC-25%) to the solid fat content at 35°C (SFC-35%) (SFC-25 / SFC-35) is 20 to 90.

11. An oily confectionery according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the oil phase comprises fat (A) and cocoa butter.

12. An oil-based confectionery according to any one of claims 8 to 11, which is a tempered chocolate.

13. An oily confectionery according to any one of claims 8 to 12, which is a chocolate for forming a thin film.

14. A food product comprising a thin film made of an oily confectionery according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

15. A method for suppressing cracking of chocolates, comprising using the hard butter composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 such that the content of fat (A) in the oil phase is in the range of 1 to 50% by mass.

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