Oil-in-water emulsion containing nut and seed paste

Abstract

To provide a vegetable cream that has the natural flavor of nuts and seeds such as almond, has good physical property, and can meet diversifying consumer needs such as clean label.SOLUTION: Blend so that the seeds and nuts such as almond paste is 1 to 10 wt.%, the total oil component is 10 to 50 wt.%, and, furthermore, the seeds and nuts oil derived from the same seeds and nuts as the paste in total with the paste-derived oil component is 50 to 100 wt.% in the total oil component. As an emulsifier, lecithin is blended so as to be 0.5 to 2.5 wt.% for the oil component, of which the proportion of lysolecithin is blended so as to be 20 to 100 wt.%. A vegetable oil-in-water type emulsion product that does not contain milk components and is emulsion-stable is obtained.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil-in-water emulsion containing a paste of nuts such as almonds. [Background technology]

[0002] Due to concerns about the environment, resource conservation, and health, there is an increasing demand for products that replace animal foods and dairy products with plant-based ingredients. For example, there is a group of products called plant milk, or plant-based milk, that are made from soybeans, oats, almonds, etc. as substitutes for cow's milk.

[0003] In the field of Western confectionery, fresh cream is widely used for purposes such as adding flavor, improving texture, and modifying color. A typical use is raw chocolate, in which fresh cream is kneaded into chocolate. Fresh cream is an oil-in-water emulsion emulsified with the milk protein casein, and most of it has an oil content of approximately 30 to 47% by weight. Most plant-based milks have a low oil content of 10% by weight or less, which may prevent the desired effects from being fully achieved when using fresh cream. To produce dairy-free plant-based cream, a technology to supplement the functions of casein is required.

[0004] Among plant-based ingredients, nuts, such as almonds, are widely used in Western confectionery and are in high demand. While seed paste is particularly effective for imparting flavor, its high viscosity limits its range of use. Therefore, there is a demand for low-viscosity liquid oil-in-water emulsions that are easy to work with and uniformly blend. However, existing plant-based milks often contain low amounts of seeds, which can weaken their flavor-imparting properties. To impart a natural seed flavor, it is desirable to incorporate a paste-form raw material, i.e., a certain amount of seed paste, but simply incorporating such a raw material can result in an oil-in-water emulsion with high viscosity. Furthermore, the liquid oil and fiber abundant in nuts can inhibit emulsion stability, making it difficult to produce a stable oil-in-water emulsion containing a certain amount of seed paste.

[0005] In recent years, consumers have also become more interested in the ingredient labeling of products, and there has been an increasing demand for "clean labels," which require the use of as few different ingredients as possible, with simple and easy-to-understand ingredient names.

[0006] Patent Document 1 is an invention related to beverages, foods, and seasonings containing crushed almonds with skin, and describes that almond paste of a specific particle size has a good flavor, but does not disclose how to incorporate it into an oil-in-water emulsion with an oil content of 10 to 50% by weight, or a specific method for producing such an emulsion.

[0007] Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing a foamable oil-in-water emulsion in which the particle size of almond paste is adjusted to 80 to 400 mesh to suppress an increase in viscosity during mixing and emulsification, but the examples include sodium caseinate, and the patent does not disclose a production method that does not use dairy products.

[0008] Patent Document 3 is an invention relating to a foaming oil-in-water emulsion that uses only vegetable materials, and contains a partial hydrolyzate of soy protein, a vegetable protein with emulsifying power. However, in recent years, even within the trend toward plant-based foods, there are situations where methods that do not rely on soy or legume ingredients are required, such as to cater to more specific needs and allergies.

[0009] Thus, there is a demand for a vegetable cream containing a nut or seed paste that can meet increasingly diverse consumer needs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-80672 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-22562 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-115854 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a vegetable oil-in-water emulsion containing a paste of nuts such as almonds, which has a good flavor and good emulsion stability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The inventors first came up with the idea of designing a product with a consistent ingredient list by blending a paste of nuts and seeds with oils extracted from the same nuts and seeds in a vegetable cream with a total oil content of 10 to 50% by weight. Furthermore, in order to simplify the ingredient labeling, especially when used for kneading into chocolate, we investigated using only lecithins as emulsifiers. The inventors have also found that the problem of emulsion stability in these formulations can be solved by incorporating a certain amount or more of highly hydrophilic lysolecithin, and have completed the present invention.

[0013] That is, the present invention (1) An oil-in-water emulsion containing 1 to 10% by weight of a nut or seed paste and having a total oil content of 10 to 50% by weight. (2) The oil-in-water emulsion according to (1), which contains a seed oil derived from the same seeds as the seed paste, and the total amount of the seed paste-derived oil and the seed oil is 50 to 100% by weight of the total oil content. (3) The oil-in-water emulsion according to (1) or (2), which contains lecithins in an amount of 0.5 to 2.5% by weight based on the weight of oil, of which the proportion of lysolecithin is 20 to 100% by weight. (4) The oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of (1) to (3), which does not contain milk components. (5) A method for producing the oil-in-water emulsion according to any one of (1) to (4), which includes an enzymatic treatment step with cellulase. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, a vegetable cream can be provided that has the natural flavor of nuts and seeds and contains oils suitable for use as a confectionery ingredient. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention will be specifically described below.

[0016] (Nut and seed paste) The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention contains 1 to 10% by weight of the nut or seed paste, preferably 2 to 9% by weight, and more preferably 2 to 8% by weight. If the amount is less than this, it may be difficult to obtain the natural flavor derived from the nuts and seeds, and if the amount is more than this, the emulsion may become unstable or thickening may occur over time. Examples of nuts and seeds include almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, peanuts, pistachios, and sesame seeds, and these can be ground into a paste. Almond paste made from almonds is particularly suitable.

[0017] (seed oil) In the present invention, oils and fats extracted from nuts and seeds are referred to as “nut oils.” Examples of nut oils include almond oil, cashew nut oil, macadamia nut oil, peanut oil, pistachio oil, and sesame oil. The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably contains, as an oil and fat raw material, a seed oil derived from the same seeds as the seed paste. The total of the oil and fat content contained in the seed paste (derived from the paste) and the seed oil to be added preferably accounts for 50 to 100% by weight of the total oil content. It is more preferably 60 to 100% by weight, and even more preferably 70 to 100% by weight. The selection of nut paste and nut oil will be explained in more detail below. When almond paste is used, almond oil is also used. Similarly, examples of combinations include cashew nut paste and cashew nut oil, macadamia nut paste and macadamia nut oil, peanut paste and peanut oil, pistachio paste and pistachio oil, and sesame paste and sesame oil.

[0018] The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention may contain oils other than nut oils, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, kapok oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, etc., as well as any of these oils that have been processed by hardening, fractionation, interesterification, etc. One or more of these oils may also be blended and used. The oil and fat content (total oil content) in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention, including that derived from the nut or seed paste, is 10 to 50% by weight, preferably 20 to 45% by weight. If the content is less than this, the physical properties and flavor required for a confectionery ingredient may not be sufficiently obtained. If the content is more than this, the emulsion stability may decrease.

[0019] (Lecithins) The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably contains lecithins in an amount of 0.5 to 2.5% by weight relative to the total oil content (relative to the oil content), more preferably 0.7 to 2 parts by weight, and even more preferably 0.9 to 1.8 parts by weight. Lecithins refer to phospholipids whose main component is lecithin, which are obtained by extraction from soybeans, sunflowers, egg yolks, etc., and include functionally modified fractionated lecithin, enzymatically hydrolyzed lecithin (lysolecithin), and hydrogenated lecithin.

[0020] (lysolecithin) The oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention preferably contains lysolecithin in an amount of 20 to 100% by weight of the total amount of lecithins, i.e., 0.1 to 2.5% by weight of the total oil content. The amount of lysolecithin to be added is more preferably 0.2 to 2% by weight, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1.8% by weight, based on the oil content. If the content is less than this, it may be difficult to obtain the effects of the present invention. The lysolecithin used in the present invention refers to enzymatically decomposed lecithin obtained by hydrolyzing lecithin with phospholipase or the like to increase its hydrophilicity. Soybean, sunflower, or egg yolk lysolecithin can all be used, but soybean-derived lysolecithin is preferred.

[0021] When using a product or preparation commercially available as "lysolecithin," the amount of lysolecithin can be calculated by multiplying the amount used by the lyso-conversion rate. Raw materials with an unknown lyso-conversion rate, such as various commercially available processed egg yolk products, can also be used. In this case, the amounts of lecithin and lysolecithin can be calculated by analysis and blended so as to fall within the aforementioned optimal range. Any known analytical method can be used; for example, see "HPLC ANALYSIS OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN CRUDE OIL FOR EVALUATION OF SOYBEAN DETERIORATION" by TL MOUNTS and AM NASH (JAOCS, VOL. 67, NO. 11, pp. 757-759, 1990).

[0022] (Other emulsifiers) In addition to lecithins, any commonly used emulsifier can be used in the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Specific examples of emulsifiers include glycerin fatty acid esters, organic acid monoglycerides, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polysorbates, and one or more of these may be appropriately selected and used. From the viewpoint of clean labeling, it is preferred to use only lecithins in the present invention.

[0023] (cellulase) In the present invention, excessive thickening of the oil-in-water emulsion can be suppressed by carrying out an enzymatic treatment with cellulase during the production process. Since the enzymatic reaction proceeds simultaneously during the normal production process of an oil-in-water emulsion, it is often not necessary to add a separate step, but examples of reaction conditions include 50 to 70°C for 20 minutes or more. As the cellulase, a commercially available preparation can be used, and the amount added can be adjusted appropriately depending on the activity and purity, for example, 0.01 to 1% by weight in the oil-in-water emulsion.

[0024] (milk ingredient) According to the method of the present invention, a dairy product, i.e., an oil-in-water emulsion with good physical properties can be obtained without containing casein, a dairy component, and therefore a cream that also meets the needs of plant-based foods can be provided. Furthermore, the method of the present invention can be used to produce foods without incorporating any bean proteins or their hydrolysates or partial hydrolysates, which have emulsifying properties, nor can it incorporate thickening polysaccharides, gelling agents, pH adjusters, etc., which are commonly used to stabilize physical properties. This means that it can widely meet the needs for diversification and further segmentation within the plant-based food category, such as allergies and clean label.

[0025] (Other ingredients, manufacturing method) In addition to the above, the oil-in-water emulsion of the present invention may also contain flavorings, thickening polysaccharides, gelling agents, salts, pH adjusters, sugars, and the like, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. The oil-in-water emulsion may also be produced by a conventional method. First, fats and oils are melted, and oil-soluble raw materials, specifically, for example, an oil-soluble emulsifier, are dissolved therein to prepare an oil phase. Separately, water-soluble raw materials are dissolved in water to prepare an aqueous phase, which is stirred using a homogenizer or the like, and the oil phase is added to form an oil-in-water emulsion, which is then further emulsified using a high-pressure homogenizer. A sterilization step may also be added as necessary. [Example]

[0026] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples. In the following, "%" and "parts" are by weight unless otherwise specified.

[0027] (Production of oil-in-water emulsion) According to the formulations in Tables 1 and 2, the oils and fats were heated and melted, and the oil-soluble ingredients were added and mixed to form the oil phase. Separately, the water-soluble ingredients (including almond paste) were dissolved in warm water to prepare the water phase. The oil and water phases were mixed in an emulsification tank, pre-emulsified, homogenized, then sterilized in an ultra-high temperature sterilizer, and immediately cooled to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion.

[0028] The raw materials used in the table are as follows: Almond oil: Almond oil, manufactured by Summit Oil Co., Ltd. Almond paste: Dehulled almond paste, manufactured by Tokai Nuts Co., Ltd., 56.1% oil content Lecithin: SLP-Paste, manufactured by Tsuji Oil Mills (derived from soybeans) Lysolecithin preparation: Sunlecithin S, manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. (soybean-derived, lysolecithin 55% or more) Cellulase: Cellulase A "Amano" 3, manufactured by Amano Enzyme The amount of lysolecithin in the lysolecithin preparation (calculated value at a content of 55%) is also shown in the table. The total of the nut paste, oils and fats, and water was 100%, to which lecithin, lysolecithin, and cellulase were added.

[0029] (Table 1) Formulation and composition TIFF0007718084000001.tif86168

[0030] (Table 2) Formulation and composition TIFF0007718084000002.tif110144

[0031] (evaluation) The oil-in-water emulsion obtained was subjected to the following measurements and judged as pass or fail.

[0032] (Viscosity) (unit: cP) Measurement conditions: Product temperature 5℃ Measuring equipment: BM type viscometer (Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd. "VISCOMETER TV-10") Rotor No. 2, 3 A score of 3cP or more but less than 1000cP was considered a pass.

[0033] (Emulsification stability) 50g of oil-in-water emulsion was placed in a 100ml beaker and kept at 20℃ for 2 hours. After adding a ceramic ball, the emulsion was shaken using a horizontal shaker and the time it took for the emulsion to solidify (a significant increase in viscosity) was measured. A time of 7 minutes or more was considered acceptable.

[0034] The results are shown in Table 3. In a system containing almond paste and almond oil, a stable oil-in-water emulsion was obtained by adding lecithins so that the lysolecithin content was 20% or more.

[0035] (Table 3) Measurement results and pass / fail judgment TIFF0007718084000003.tif74169

Claims

1. Contains 1 to 10% by weight of nut paste and nut oil derived from the same seeds as the nut paste, The total amount of oils and fats derived from nut and seed paste and nut oil is 50 to 100% by weight of the total oil content, And it contains only lecithins as emulsifiers, The lecithin content is 0.5 to 2.5% by weight based on the oil content, of which the proportion of lysolecithin is 20 to 100% by weight, An oil-in-water emulsion that does not contain dairy ingredients.

2. A method for producing the oil-in-water emulsion described in claim 1, comprising an enzymatic treatment step using cellulase.

Images