Method for producing heat-treated wheat bran and method for producing processed foods

Abstract

To provide a production method of heat-treated wheat bran capable of being processed to a secondary processed food which has high secondary processing suitability and is excellent in flavor and texture.SOLUTION: A production method of heat-treated wheat bran includes a step of bringing wheat bran derived from Australian Standard White into contact with superheated steam so as to heat-treat the wheat bran. An average grain diameter of the heat-treated wheat bran is 30-180 μm. It is suitable to bring into contact with superheated steam at 150-450°C for 0.5-10 minutes. A production method of a processed food, including using 1-60 pts.mass of the heat-treated wheat bran obtained by the production method based on 100 pts.mass of grain flour is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing heat-treated wheat bran and a method for producing processed foods. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, due to increased health consciousness, secondary processed products such as bread and noodles are being produced using wheat bran, which is rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as functional ingredients and has a good flavor.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a wheat bran processed product having a soluble protein ratio of 3 to 15% relative to the total protein mass and a gelatinized starch content of 1 to 10% by mass, with the aim of obtaining a processed product that has the original flavor of wheat bran and reduced harshness and odor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-225423 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 has poor secondary processability when wheat bran is used, and the texture of the secondary processed products using wheat bran is also unsatisfactory.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide heat-treated wheat bran that is highly suitable for secondary processing and can be processed into secondary processed products having excellent flavor and texture.

[0007] The present invention relates to a method for producing wheat bran from Australian Standard White, the method comprising the steps of: heat treating the wheat bran by contacting the wheat bran with superheated steam; The present invention provides a method for producing heat-treated wheat bran having an average particle size of 30 to 180 μm.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for producing a processed food, which uses 1 to 60 parts by mass of the heat-treated wheat bran obtained by the above-mentioned production method per 100 parts by mass of cereal flour. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, heat-treated wheat bran is provided which has high suitability for secondary processing and can be processed into secondary processed products having excellent flavor and texture. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The method for producing heat-treated wheat bran of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "production method") will be described below based on its preferred embodiment. In the following description, when it is written "X to Y[Z]" (X and Y are arbitrary numbers, and [Z] is an arbitrary unit), it means "X[Z] or more and Y[Z] or less" unless otherwise specified.

[0011] This manufacturing method uses wheat bran obtained from Australian Standard White (ASW, for example, produced in Australia), which is classified as a medium-grain wheat among white wheat, a type of wheat in the genus Triticum in the family Poaceae, as a raw material, and subjects the wheat bran to a specified heat treatment. The raw material wheat bran contains a specified amount of dietary fiber and carbohydrates. By using wheat bran as a raw material, it is possible to improve the suitability for secondary processing, and the obtained secondary processed products have a good flavor with reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, a smooth texture, and an excellent appearance. Whether wheat bran is derived from ASW or not can be selected, for example, by genetic characteristics.

[0012] Generally, wheat caryopses (wheat kernels) are roughly divided into endosperm, husk (husk and seed coat), and germ (germ), and wheat bran is obtained by crushing wheat kernels and removing the endosperm and germ from the husk fraction. This wheat bran typically has a moisture content of 3 to 15% by mass, and is preferably a powder.

[0013] The method includes a step of contacting wheat bran derived from ASW with superheated steam to heat-treat the wheat bran. In the following description, the wheat bran that has not been heat-treated is also referred to as "untreated."

[0014] First, the endosperm and germ are separated from the raw material untreated ASW grains to obtain untreated wheat bran. The ASW grains can be conditioned by adding water to the grains or can be ground without adding water. There is no particular restriction on the method for extracting wheat bran from the ground grains, and for example, a method can be used in which the ground grains are separated into wheat bran and other components by a known classification method such as sieving, and then the wheat bran is extracted.

[0015] The untreated ASW grains can be ground by a grinding method commonly used in the present technical field, such as roll grinding, impact grinding, airflow grinding, etc. The grains may be ground only once, or multiple times by the same or different grinding methods. For example, roll grinding and impact grinding may be combined and performed in that order, or roll grinding may be performed multiple times in multiple stages. The grinder used for impact grinding is not particularly limited as long as it grinds by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor. From the viewpoint of simultaneously improving the grinding efficiency of the grains and the separation efficiency of the bran, it is preferable to adopt roll grinding.

[0016] The average particle size of wheat bran refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, "Microtrack Particle Size Distribution Measuring Device 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). This measurement method is commonly applied throughout this specification.

[0017] Next, the untreated wheat bran obtained by the above-mentioned method is contacted with superheated steam to heat-treat the wheat bran. By performing heat treatment using superheated steam as a heat treatment method, the secondary processability of the heat-treated wheat bran is further improved, and the flavor and texture of the resulting secondary processed product are further improved. In addition, the heat treatment step makes it easier to adjust the particle size of the wheat bran, which is advantageous in that the particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran can be adjusted to a suitable range to increase the productivity of the secondary processed product. In addition, the heat treatment step can reduce or inactivate the activity of various enzymes such as amylase and protease, which is particularly advantageous in that it can further improve the secondary processability and the texture of the secondary processed product.

[0018] The temperature of the superheated steam used in the heat treatment is preferably 150 to 450°C, more preferably 150 to 300°C, and even more preferably 150 to 250°C. The treatment time with the superheated steam is preferably 0.5 to 10 minutes, more preferably 1 to 8 minutes, and even more preferably 2 to 5 minutes, provided that the temperature is within the above-mentioned range. The flow rate of the superheated steam can be appropriately adjusted depending on the equipment used, but in the case of the equipment used in the examples described later (SV Roaster HOTMAX (Nakanishi Seisakusho)), for example, it is preferably 30 to 300 kPa. It is possible. By contacting the superheated steam under such conditions, the wheat bran to be treated can be heat-treated at a temperature equivalent to that of the superheated steam, and the harshness and odor peculiar to wheat bran can be effectively reduced. In addition, the secondary processing suitability of wheat bran when used as a raw material for processed foods is improved, and the flavor of processed foods containing wheat bran is improved. In addition, the generation of unintended roasted odor can be suppressed, and a secondary processed product that is easy to eat can be obtained.

[0019] As a method for contacting the wheat bran with the superheated steam, for example, the wheat bran to be treated is introduced into a closed container, and the superheated steam is allowed to flow and remain in the container. If necessary, the wheat bran to be treated may be contacted with the superheated steam while being stirred.

[0020] Through the above steps, the desired heat-treated wheat bran can be obtained. This heat-treated wheat bran is preferably a powder, and its average particle size is preferably 30 to 180 μm, more preferably 45 to 150 μm, and even more preferably 60 to 120 μm. By having such an average particle size, it is possible to produce highly suitable secondary processing products with excellent appearance, flavor, and texture with high productivity.

[0021] In order to obtain heat-treated wheat bran having the above-mentioned preferred average particle size, for example, untreated wheat bran that has been subjected to particle size adjustment such as crushing or classification so as to obtain the desired average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran before heat treatment, such as when grinding the grains, can be subjected to heat treatment, or after heat treatment, particle size adjustment such as crushing or classification can be performed so as to obtain the desired average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran. Alternatively, before the heat treatment, untreated wheat bran may be coarsely ground to an average particle size larger than the average particle size of the desired heat-treated wheat bran, and this wheat bran may be contacted with superheated steam, after which the heat-treated wheat bran may be finely ground and classified to an average particle size of the heat-treated wheat bran described above. In other words, it is preferable to carry out a step of adjusting the particle size of the wheat bran before or after the heat treatment step with superheated steam, or both before and after the heat treatment step. Note that the average particle size of the wheat bran does not substantially change before and after the heat treatment.

[0022] From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining fine heat-treated wheat bran, it is more preferable to further pulverize the heat-treated wheat bran to obtain a finely pulverized product having the above-mentioned preferable average particle size. This pulverization step is also preferably carried out by impact pulverization. The pulverization process is preferably carried out so that the ratio of the fraction having an average particle size of less than 200 μm to the total mass of the wheat bran is about 50 to 100 mass%, more preferably 70 to 100 mass%.

[0023] In order to obtain heat-treated wheat bran with a sharp particle size distribution and capable of being used to produce secondary processed products with a smooth texture, it is preferable to classify the finely pulverized heat-treated wheat bran and separate a fraction having an average particle size of preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less. This classification step may be performed using a sieve, an air classifier, or both.

[0024] When classification is performed using a sieve, the sieve has an opening of preferably 150 to 200 μm, more preferably 150 to 180 μm, and even more preferably 150 μm, and the fraction that has passed through the sieve is collected. When this step is performed using an air classifier, a classifier capable of accurately separating fractions with a particle size boundary of 150 to 200 μm is used, and a fraction with an average particle size of preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less is collected. From the viewpoint of space saving, it is preferable to perform pulverization and classification using an impact pulverizer with a built-in air classifier. Inside the air classifier An example of such an impact type fine grinding mill is ACM Pulverizer (trade name) manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation.

[0025] The heat-treated wheat bran obtained through the heat treatment process using superheated steam has very little condensed water compared to the case where saturated steam is used, so its moisture content is preferably 15% by mass or less. This moisture content is equivalent to that of untreated wheat bran, and the moisture content remains almost unchanged before and after the heat treatment.

[0026] On the other hand, the moisture content may be unintentionally relatively high due to unintentional adhesion of condensed water due to excessive contact with superheated steam, unintentional dripping in the heat treatment environment, etc. If these phenomena occur, the moisture content of the heat-treated wheat bran may exceed 15% by mass. In this case, from the viewpoint of preventing the proliferation of spoilage bacteria and enhancing the shelf life, it is preferable to reduce the moisture content of the heat-treated wheat bran by performing a drying process after the heat treatment with superheated steam. Specifically, the moisture content of the heat-treated wheat bran is adjusted to preferably 15% by mass or less, more preferably 3 to 15% by mass. The drying process may be performed after the heat treatment with superheated steam and before the particle size adjustment process, or after each of the heat treatment with superheated steam and the particle size adjustment processes. The moisture content can be measured by a heat drying method.

[0027] The heat-treated wheat bran obtained through this manufacturing process preferably has a dietary fiber content and a carbohydrate content within a predetermined range. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, unless otherwise specified, heat-treated wheat bran, which is a powder having a moisture content within the above-mentioned range, is used as an example. In addition, when the moisture content of the heat-treated wheat bran is 8 to 9% by mass, it is preferable that the contents of the components described in the following description are the same, in order to obtain high quality heat-treated wheat bran.

[0028] The dietary fiber content of the heat-treated wheat bran is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 43% by mass or more, and even more preferably 44% by mass or more, and from the viewpoint of the production efficiency of secondary processed products, 60% by mass or less is realistic. By setting the dietary fiber content in such a range, secondary processed products produced using the heat-treated wheat bran have excellent flavor and texture derived from wheat bran and a good appearance. In addition, the health promotion effect of ingesting dietary fiber can be obtained. The dietary fiber content can be appropriately adjusted by, for example, further subjecting the untreated wheat bran fraction obtained by crushing the ASW grains to at least one of crushing and classification to increase the content of the wheat husk portion.

[0029] The dietary fiber content in the present invention is the total value of soluble dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber, which is determined by the modified Prosky method (analysis method based on the AOAC985.29 method) based on the Analysis Manual of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2015 Edition (7th Edition). The dietary fiber content can be measured, for example, using a commercially available measurement kit based on the modified Prosky method.

[0030] The carbohydrate content of the heat-treated wheat bran is preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 17.7% by mass or less, even more preferably 17% by mass or less, and even more preferably 16% by mass or less, and from the viewpoint of the production efficiency of secondary processed products, 10% by mass or more is realistic. By setting the carbohydrate content in such a range, the suitability of the heat-treated wheat bran for secondary processing can be improved, and the obtained secondary processed products have excellent appearance and texture. The carbohydrate content can be appropriately adjusted by, for example, performing at least one of grinding and classification on the untreated wheat bran fraction obtained by grinding ASW grains, thereby increasing the content of wheat husk.

[0031] The carbohydrate content in the present invention can be the value obtained by subtracting the dietary fiber value from the carbohydrate value determined by a subtraction method based on the Analysis Manual of the 2015 Edition (7th Edition) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. That is, the carbohydrate content in the present invention is the value obtained by subtracting the masses of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of 100 g of the measurement object. The masses of water, protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber can each be quantified based on the analysis manual.

[0032] When the heat-treated wheat bran is used to produce bread, noodles, and other foods, the dough produced has good elasticity, shape retention, moldability, and other physical properties, and is highly suitable for secondary processing. In addition, the secondary processed products produced using the heat-treated wheat bran have reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from the wheat bran, and have excellent flavor and texture and good appearance. In detail, the wheat husk and its surroundings, which are the raw material for wheat bran, contain starches, but few of these starches have a structure suitable for secondary processing, and many of these starches are of poor quality. When wheat bran containing such starches is used for secondary processing, the physical properties of the dough tend to deteriorate, and as a result, the texture and appearance of the secondary processed products tend to deteriorate. In this regard, the heat-treated wheat bran obtained through the production method of the present invention has a relatively low carbohydrate content, so that poor quality starches are less likely to be mixed in. As a result, the suitability for secondary processing is increased, and the appearance and texture of the secondary processed products are good. In addition, since heat-treated wheat bran is made from ASW, it can impart a good flavor to secondary processed products with less bitterness, harshness, etc., compared to products made from other wheat. In a preferred embodiment of the heat-treated wheat bran, it contains a predetermined amount of dietary fiber, which improves the suitability for secondary processing, appearance, flavor, and texture, and can efficiently exert the health-promoting effects of dietary fiber intake.

[0033] The heat-treated wheat bran obtained by this manufacturing method can be mixed with flour other than wheat bran, such as wheat flour or wheat germ, to produce a processed food, which is a secondary processed product of heat-treated wheat bran. The content of each raw material can be appropriately adjusted depending on the target processed food, but the content of heat-treated wheat bran relative to the total mass of the flour (the total mass of heat-treated wheat bran and flour other than wheat bran) is preferably 1 to 60 mass%, more preferably 1 to 45 mass%, and even more preferably 1 to 30 mass%. By containing heat-treated wheat bran in the flour within such a range, it is possible to improve the secondary processing suitability, appearance, and texture, and to express a good flavor with reduced bitterness and harshness in the processed food, and to efficiently exert the health promotion effect due to the intake of dietary fiber.

[0034] The raw materials for processed foods may be used as a flour composition (so-called mix) by further mixing one or more of the following raw materials with the mixed flour: proteins such as gluten; starches such as unprocessed starch and processed starch (acetylated starch, etherified starch, crosslinked starch, oxidized starch, etc.); sugars such as sugar and oligosaccharides; fats and oils such as shortening, butter and margarine; fermentation bacteria such as yeast and lactic acid bacteria; salt, skim milk powder, thickeners, emulsifiers, leavening agents, etc.

[0035] An embodiment of the process for producing a processed food is as follows. In detail, heat-treated wheat bran is mixed with water, milk, whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, fresh cream, kansui water, or other dough preparation liquids, and the mixture is mixed to produce a clay-like dough (so-called dough) or a paste-like dough (so-called batter). The dough is then molded into the desired form of the processed food, and the dough is dried, cooled, or fermented as necessary, or the dough is subjected to a heat treatment such as baking, steaming, boiling, or frying to produce the processed food.

[0036] When a mixed flour or flour composition containing heat-treated wheat bran is used to produce processed foods, the amount of dough preparation liquid added to the mixed flour or flour composition is 100% when water is used as the dough preparation liquid and the dough to be prepared is dough. The amount is preferably about 50 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mixed grain flour or grain flour composition, and when the dough to be prepared is a batter, the amount is preferably about 90 to 300 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the mixed grain flour or grain flour composition.

[0037] The mixed flour or flour composition containing heat-treated wheat bran has good dough moldability and good secondary processing suitability, and can be suitably used to produce various processed foods such as breads such as bread and rolls, bakery foods such as waffles, crepes, pancakes, hotcakes, sponge cakes, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, obanyaki, and taiyaki, noodles such as udon, somen, hiyamugi, soba, Chinese noodles, and pasta, noodle skins such as gyoza skins and spring roll skins, and fried foods such as tempura, fried chicken, tatsuta-age, and fritters. The processed foods obtained are excellent in appearance, flavor, and texture. In detail, if the processed food is bread, it will have an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or harshness, and a soft and good texture. If the processed food is noodles, it will have a white color, an excellent appearance, a good flavor with little bitterness or harshness, and a strong elasticity and good texture. EXAMPLES

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The heat-treated wheat bran in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples was a powdery product consisting only of the wheat bran, and the moisture content of the wheat bran was in the range of 8 to 9% by mass in all cases. The dietary fiber and carbohydrate contents (mass%) relative to the mass of the heat-treated wheat bran in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples were measured according to the above-mentioned methods. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0039] [Examples 1 to 6] The raw wheat used was white wheat and medium quality wheat (ASW), which was refined and crushed in a roll crusher. The crushed material was classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 200 μm, and untreated wheat bran was collected as the residue on the sieve.

[0040] Next, the collected untreated wheat bran was subjected to impact pulverization using a turbo mill (Tokyo Flour Mills, Ltd.) to coarsely pulverize the bran to an average particle size of about 240 μm. This coarsely pulverized material was subjected to heat treatment by contacting it with superheated steam at a steam flow rate of 100 kPa at the temperatures and times shown in Table 1 below using an SV Roaster HOTMAX (Nakanishi Manufacturing Co., Ltd.). The heat-treated wheat bran was then pulverized using an impact mill (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Co., Ltd.), and the pulverized product was classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 150 μm. The bran fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain the desired heat-treated wheat bran. The average particle size of this heat-treated wheat bran was 90 μm. Fractions with different dietary fiber and carbohydrate contents were obtained by appropriately adjusting the grinding conditions for roll grinding and impact grinding.

[0041] Comparative Example 1 The heat-treated wheat bran was contacted with superheated steam under the same conditions as in Example 3, except that the heat-treated wheat bran was not pulverized, to obtain the desired heat-treated wheat bran. The average particle size of this heat-treated wheat bran was 240 μm. Fractions with different dietary fiber and carbohydrate contents were obtained by adjusting the milling conditions for the roll milling and impact milling.

[0042] [Comparative Examples 2 to 3] Instead of ASW, No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring (1CW, produced in Canada), which is a red and hard wheat, was used as the raw wheat. Heat-treated wheat bran was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that instead of heat treatment with superheated steam, dry heat treatment was performed by heating the product to a temperature of 120°C for 25 minutes using a device with a similar configuration to the heat treatment stirring device described in JP-A-2004-9022.

[0043] Comparative Example 4 Heat-treated wheat bran was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 1CW was used as the raw wheat.

[0044] [Comparative Examples 5 to 6] Heat-treated wheat bran was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Western White (WW, produced in the United States), which is white and soft wheat, was used as the raw wheat.

[0045] [Evaluation 1: Bread production] The heat-treated wheat bran of each Example and Comparative Example was mixed with the following raw materials in the ratios shown below to prepare dough, and bread, which is a secondary processed product (processed food), was produced through the following bread production process. Ten expert panelists produced and ate the bread to evaluate the workability (secondary processability) of the dough during bread production, as well as the flavor and texture of the resulting bread. The panelists evaluated each Example and Comparative Example by setting the Comparative Example 2 as the "control example" and setting the evaluation score for the bread produced and eaten using this as "2 points," and using the following evaluation criteria. The results are shown in Table 1 below as arithmetic mean values.

[0046] <Bread ingredients> (The units of ingredients shown below are "parts by mass.") · Wheat flour (strong flour): 80 Heat-treated wheat bran: 20 Gluten: 7 Fabric improver: 0.1 East: 3 Salt: 2 ·Cast sugar: 6 Skim milk powder: 2 Shortening: 5 ·Wed:81 (Gluten: H-10, manufactured by Ogawa Flour Mills. Dough improver: C Food, manufactured by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

[0047] <Bread manufacturing process> Each raw material was put into a mixing device (Kanto Mixing Machine Co., Ltd., vertical mixer HPi-20M) and mixed at a product temperature of 28°C in the order of 7 minutes at low speed, 10 minutes at medium-low speed, and 2.5 minutes at medium-high speed to prepare dough. This dough was left to stand for 60 minutes under conditions of 27°C and 75% RH. The fermented dough was divided into 450g portions and left to stand for 20 minutes with a bench time. These doughs were formed into rolls and placed in a one-loaf bread mold, and left to stand for 50 minutes under conditions of 32°C and 85% RH to perform proofing. Finally, the dough after proofing was baked at 210°C for 30 minutes to obtain bread containing the heat-treated wheat bran of the examples and comparative examples.

[0048] <Evaluation of secondary processing of bread> 5 points: The fabric is much easier to organize than the control example (Comparative Example 2) and has very good secondary processability. 4 points: The fabric is easier to hold together than the control, and has good secondary processability. 3 points: The fabric is somewhat easier to hold together than the control example, and secondary processability is somewhat better. 2 points: secondary processability equivalent to that of the control example. 1 point: The fabric is less cohesive than the control, and secondary processability is poor.

[0049] <Bread texture (roughness)> 5 points: The taste is much smoother than that of the control example (Comparative Example 2), and the texture is very excellent. 4 points: Smoother than the control, with excellent texture. 3 points: Taste is better than the control, and the texture is slightly better. 2 points: The texture is the same as the control. 1 point: Grainier than the control, with a poor texture.

[0050] <Bread texture (crunchiness)> 5 points: Much crisper than the control example (Comparative Example 2) and has an excellent texture. 4 points: Crispier and better texture than the control. 3 points: Crisper than the control, with a slightly better texture. 2 points: The texture is the same as the control. 1 point: Less crisp and has a worse texture than the control.

[0051] <Bread flavor (bitterness)> 5 points: Compared with the control example (Comparative Example 2), there is no bitterness or it is very weakly bitter, and the flavor is very excellent. 4 points: Less bitter than the control, and has excellent flavor. 3 points: Compared to the control example, the bitterness is slightly weaker and the flavor is quite good. 2 points: Flavor is the same as the control. 1 point: Compared to the control, it has a strong bitter taste and a bad flavor.

[0052] [Table 1]

[0053] As shown in Table 1, by contacting wheat bran derived from ASW with superheated steam, it is possible to obtain heat-treated wheat bran that is excellent in secondary processability and can be used to produce processed foods that have excellent flavor and texture.

Claims

1. A method for producing heat-treated wheat bran, comprising contacting wheat bran derived from Australian Standard White with superheated steam to heat-treat the wheat bran, In the step of heat treating the wheat bran, the superheated steam having a temperature of 150 to 300 ° C. is contacted for 1 to 8 minutes, The method for producing heat-treated wheat bran, wherein the heat-treated wheat bran has an average particle size of 60 to 120 μm.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat-treated wheat bran has a dietary fiber content of 40% by mass or more and a carbohydrate content of 20% by mass or less.

3. A manufacturing method as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheat bran is crushed before the step of heat-treating the wheat bran, or the wheat bran is heat-treated to obtain the heat-treated wheat bran and then the heat-treated wheat bran is crushed.

4. A method for producing a processed food, comprising using 1 to 60 parts by mass of heat-treated wheat bran obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 per 100 parts by mass of flour.

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