Sugar composition for gummy candy, gummy candy, and method for producing gummy candy

Abstract

To provide a saccharide composition for gummy candies, to be a raw material of gummy candies having remarkably high chewing properties, to provide gummy candies containing the saccharide composition, and to provide a production method of the gummy candies.SOLUTION: A saccharide composition for gummy candies is such that: a content of sugar with a polymerization degree of 1 in the saccharide composition is 30% or less: a content of sugar with a polymerization degree of 7 or more in the saccharide composition is 45% or less: and a content of branched sugar having α-1,6 bond in the saccharide composition is 50-75%. Gummy candies contain the saccharide composition. A production method of the gummy candies includes a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving in water the saccharide composition, and sugar excluding sugar contained in the saccharide composition.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sugar composition for gummy candies, a gummy candy, and a method for producing a gummy candy. [Background technology]

[0002] Gummy candy is a type of soft candy characterized by its firm, chewy texture, which is popular around the world. Its chewy texture also helps to train chewing power, which can promote jaw development, prevent obesity, and stimulate the brain. In recent years, there has been a trend toward preference for hard gummy candies that have a chewy texture while retaining their shape and providing a certain degree of resilience (elasticity) when chewed, and chewy hard gummy candies such as "Happy Cola" and "Gold Bear" manufactured by HARIBO are on the market. However, producing hard gummy candies that have a chewy texture while retaining their shape and providing a certain degree of resilience (elasticity) like the aforementioned gummy candies requires a complicated manufacturing process, making it difficult to reproduce this texture if manufacturing efficiency is prioritized.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a gummy candy containing indigestible glucan made from a heat condensate of a starch hydrolysate having a DE of 70 to 100 and / or a food-processed product thereof. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-079670 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, there has been a demand for further improvements in the chewiness of gummy candies, which allows them to be easily deformed while retaining their shape and maintaining a certain degree of resilience (elasticity).

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sugar composition for gummy candies that can be used as a raw material for gummy candies with extremely high chewiness. Another object of the present invention is to provide a gummy candy with extremely high chewiness and a method for producing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors have conducted extensive research in light of the above problems and have found that a specific sugar composition can be used as a raw material for the gummy candy. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

[0008] The present invention relates to a sugar composition, wherein the glucose content in the sugar composition is in the range of 30% or less, The content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6 in the sugar composition is in the range of 40 to 50%, the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 45% or less, and the content of branched sugars having an α-1,6 bond in the sugar composition is in the range of 50 to 75%, sugars having a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6 in the sugar composition; The present invention relates to a sugar composition for gummy candies, in which the structural units of the sugar having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more and the branched sugar having an α-1,6 bond are glucose. The content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 35% or less.

[0009] The present invention also relates to a gummy candy containing the sugar composition, a disaccharide other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing gummy candies, which includes a gelatin dissolving step of dissolving gelatin in water, a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition and disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition in water, a gummy solution preparation step of mixing the aqueous gelatin solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step, and a molding step of molding the gummy solution obtained in the gummy solution preparation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The sugar composition for gummy candies of the present invention can be used as a raw material for gummy candies with extremely high chewiness. Furthermore, the gummy candies of the present invention have extremely high chewiness, and the method for producing gummy candies of the present invention can produce the gummy candies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing changes in breaking strength of gummy candy. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will now be described in further detail. Unless otherwise specified, the symbol "to" in a numerical range indicates a range from above to below, and both ends of the range are included. Furthermore, when a numerical range is indicated, the upper and lower limits can be combined as appropriate, and the resulting numerical range is also considered to be disclosed.

[0014] <Sugar composition> The sugar composition for gummy candies of the present invention contains at least one selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides and saccharides with a degree of polymerization of 2 or higher. Examples of the monosaccharides include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Examples of the saccharides with a degree of polymerization of 2 or higher include disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, and trehalose; trisaccharides such as maltotriose, isomaltotriose, and panose; and tetrasaccharides such as maltotetraose and isomaltotetraose.

[0015] The sugar composition contains 30% or less of sugars (monosaccharides) with a degree of polymerization 1 (DP-1), and 45% or less of sugars with a degree of polymerization 7 (DP-7) or higher. If the sugar composition contains more than 30% of sugars with a degree of polymerization 1, the gummy candy made from the sugar composition will be less chewy and will lose its bite. On the other hand, if the sugar composition contains more than 45% of sugars with a degree of polymerization 7 or higher, the gummy candy made from the sugar composition will stick to the teeth and become difficult to chew.

[0016] The content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 1 in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 25% or less. The content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 35% or less, more preferably in the range of 30% or less. In this case, the chewiness of gummy candies made from the sugar composition is enhanced. Furthermore, the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6 in the sugar composition is preferably in the range of 40 to 50%, more preferably in the range of 45 to 50%. In this case, the chewiness of gummy candies made from the sugar composition is also enhanced.

[0017] The contents of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 1, 3 to 6, and 7 or more in the sugar composition may be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as described below. Furthermore, the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 2 (disaccharides) may also be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as described below.

[0018] The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is in the range of 50 to 75%, preferably 52 to 70%. If the content of branched sugars is less than 50%, the chewiness will be reduced and the chewiness will be weak. If the content of branched sugars exceeds the range of 75%, tooth sticking will occur, which is not preferable. The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition may be measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as described below.

[0019] The sugar composition of the present invention may be purified from natural products, or may be produced from linear glucans according to well-known techniques used to produce branched glucans.

[0020] The sugar composition of the present invention can be produced inexpensively and efficiently by treating a starch hydrolysate with a glycosyltransferase. Specifically, the glycosyltransferase is added to a 5-50% by mass aqueous solution of the starch hydrolysate, and the reaction is carried out at a pH and temperature appropriate for the enzyme used. The reaction is typically carried out at a pH range of 4-9, with a preferred reaction pH range of 5-7. The reaction is typically carried out at a temperature range up to approximately 70°C, with a preferred reaction temperature range of 40-60°C. The amount of enzyme used and the reaction time are closely related, and the reaction time can be adjusted appropriately depending on the progress of the desired enzymatic reaction. The reaction is typically carried out for approximately 15-96 hours. After confirming the production of the target composition, the product may be purified, such as by filtration, desalting, or decolorization, as needed, and then concentrated or powdered depending on the product form.

[0021] The enzyme having the glycosyltransferase activity is at least one selected from the group consisting of α-glucosidase, 6-α-glucosyltransferase, dextrin dextranase, and cyclic maltosylmaltose-forming enzyme. The α-glucosidase may be derived from, for example, Aspergillus niger or Acremonium sp.

[0022] When α-glucosidase is used as the enzyme having a glycosyltransferase activity, the amount of α-glucosidase added to the enzymatic reaction can be 0.01 to 30 units per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. Here, 1 unit of α-glucosidase refers to the amount of enzyme required to hydrolyze 1 μmol of maltose per minute under the conditions of the α-glucosidase activity measurement method described below.

[0023] The sugar composition of the present invention can also be produced more efficiently by allowing a starch hydrolysate to react with a combination of amylase and a transglycosylating enzyme, such as cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, α-amylase, or β-amylase.

[0024] The cyclodextrin-producing enzyme may be selected from those derived from at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of Paenibacillus sp., Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus macerans. The α-amylase may be at least one selected from the group consisting of commercially available α-amylases, Clistase L-1 and Clistase T-5 (both manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.). The β-amylase may be at least one selected from the group consisting of β-amylase L (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), GODO-GBA2 (manufactured by Godo Shusei Co., Ltd.), Biozyme M, Biozyme ML, and Biozyme L (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.).

[0025] When a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme is used as the amylase, the amount of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the enzymatic reaction can be set to 0.1 to 10 units per 1 g of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. Here, 1 unit of cyclodextrin-forming enzyme refers to the amount of enzyme required to produce 1 mg of β-cyclodextrin per minute under the conditions of the method for measuring the activity of β-cyclodextrin-forming enzyme described below.

[0026] When at least one amylase selected from the group consisting of α-amylase and β-amylase is used as the amylase, the amount of amylase added in the enzymatic reaction can be 0.0005 to 1% by mass per substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reactivity and production costs.

[0027] The sugar composition of the present invention can be produced by allowing a debranching enzyme to act on a starch hydrolysate in combination with an amylase and an enzyme having a sugar-transferring activity. The debranching enzyme is preferably allowed to act on the starch hydrolysate together with the amylase and the enzyme having a sugar-transferring activity.

[0028] Here, the debranching enzyme may be at least one selected from the group consisting of isoamylase and pullulanase, and in a more preferred embodiment, it is at least one selected from the group consisting of isoamylase derived from Myroides odoratus, isoamylase derived from Pseudomonas amyloderamosa, and pullulanase derived from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

[0029] When isoamylase is used as the debranching enzyme, the amount of isoamylase added in the enzymatic reaction can be 10 to 1,000 units per gram of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reaction efficiency and production cost. Of the debranching enzymes used in the enzymatic reaction of the production method, the amount of pullulanase added can be 0.001 to 0.1 mass% per gram of substrate (solid) from the viewpoints of reactivity and production cost. Here, 1 unit of isoamylase is the enzyme titer that increases the absorbance at 610 nm by 0.01 under the conditions of the isoamylase activity measurement method described below.

[0030] The methods for measuring the activities of α-glucosidase, β-cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and isoamylase are as follows.

[0031] (α-glucosidase activity measurement) To 80 μl of 0.25% maltose solution in 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.2), 20 μl of enzyme solution, appropriately diluted with 10 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.2) containing 0.05% Triton X-100, was added and incubated at 37°C for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of reaction, 50 μl of the reaction mixture was withdrawn and mixed with 100 μl of 2 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) to terminate the reaction. 40 μl of Glucose CII-Test Wako (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was added, and the mixture was incubated at room temperature for 1 hour to allow color development. The absorbance at 490 nm was measured. The amount of glucose produced was calculated based on a glucose standard curve prepared over a range of 0 to 0.01%.

[0032] (Measurement of β-cyclodextrin synthase activity) 0.1 ml of the enzyme solution, appropriately diluted with water, was added to 0.9 ml of a 1% by weight solution of soluble starch (Nacalai Tesque, Inc.) dissolved in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.0), and the mixture was incubated at 40°C for 10 minutes. 2.5 ml of 40 mM aqueous sodium hydroxide was added to the resulting reaction mixture to terminate the reaction. The amount of β-cyclodextrin produced was measured by the phenolphthalein method. Specifically, 0.3 ml of a solution consisting of 0.1 mg / ml phenolphthalein and 2.5 mM sodium carbonate was added to the reaction-terminated solution, and the absorbance at 550 nm was measured after stirring. The amount of β-cyclodextrin produced was calculated based on a standard curve of β-cyclodextrin prepared over the range of 0 to 0.1 mg / ml.

[0033] (Measurement of isoamylase activity) 350 μl of 5 mg / ml waxy cornstarch (Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) was added to 100 μl of 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.0) containing 20 mM calcium chloride, and the mixture was incubated at 45°C for 5 minutes. After this, 100 μl of enzyme solution appropriately diluted with the buffer was added and incubated at 45°C for 15 minutes. The reaction was stopped by adding 500 μl of iodine solution (a mixture of 2 ml of a solution consisting of 6.35 mg / ml iodine and 83 mg / ml potassium iodide and 8 ml of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid). The reaction was stopped by incubation of the resulting reaction stop solution at room temperature for 15 minutes, followed by addition of 10 ml of purified water, and the absorbance of the resulting solution at 610 nm was measured.

[0034] When preparing the sugar composition of the present invention by subjecting starch or its hydrolyzates to various enzymatic treatments, the type, combination, amount, temperature, and duration of the enzymes used can be appropriately adjusted so that the content of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or higher and the content of branched sugars having an α-1,6 bond in the sugar composition of the present invention relative to the total solid content of the resulting enzyme-treated product are within the desired range. For example, by extending the treatment time with amylase or the like, an enzyme-treated product can be obtained in which the amount of sugars with a degree of polymerization of 7 or higher is sufficiently reduced. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of the enzyme with transglycosylation activity used, an enzyme-treated product in which the content of branched sugars having an α-1,6 bond in the sugar composition is 50 to 75% can be obtained.

[0035] The sugar compositions 4 to 7 used in the Examples described below were produced by the above-mentioned method of allowing various enzymes to act on starch hydrolysates.

[0036] The sugar composition of the present invention obtained by enzyme treatment may be subjected to fractionation treatment as necessary. By fractionating the sugar composition after enzyme treatment, the content of branched glucans having a desired degree of polymerization in the sugar composition can be increased, or the average degree of polymerization can be adjusted to within a desired range. The method for carrying out the fractionation treatment is not particularly limited, and examples include membrane fractionation, chromatographic fractionation, and precipitation fractionation.

[0037] Commercially available sugar compositions can be used as the sugar composition of the present invention, including, for example, Nisshoku Panorich (trade name), Nisshoku Mild Oligo (trade name), and Nisshoku Branch Oligo (trade name) manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.

[0038] The chewiness of "Gold Bear" manufactured by Haribo, a hard gummy candy with chewiness, was measured by the following method and showed a positive value, so it is determined that the larger the positive value obtained by the following measurement method, the higher the chewiness. For example, it is measured as follows. The breaking strength of the gummy candy is measured using a rheometer with a breaking strain rate of 300%, a load cell of 200 N, and a cutter back on the plunger, and the value is calculated by subtracting the first peak breaking load value from the second peak breaking load value.

[0039] <Gummy candy> The gummy candy of the present invention contains the sugar composition, disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water. Examples of disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition include sucrose, maltose, cellobiose, and trehalose. The disaccharides other than sugar contained in the sugar composition may be contained in the gummy candy of the present invention as granulated sugar or white sugar.

[0040] The content of the sugar composition in the raw materials of the gummy candy is preferably 5.0 to 50.0% by mass, more preferably 20.0 to 45.0% by mass, and even more preferably 30.0 to 45.0% by mass, calculated as solid content. The content of gelatin in the raw materials of the gummy candy is preferably 1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 2 to 8% by mass, and even more preferably 4 to 6% by mass, calculated as solid content.

[0041] The gummy candy of the present invention may contain auxiliary ingredients used in the production of gummy candies, such as sweeteners such as high-intensity sweeteners (excluding the sugar composition and sugars other than those contained in the sugar composition), fruit juice, pectin, starch, flavorings, colorings, acidulants such as citric acid, glazing agents, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

[0042] <How to make gummy candy> The method for producing a gummy candy of the present invention includes a gelatin dissolving step of dissolving gelatin in water. The method for dissolving gelatin in water is not limited to a specific method. For example, a method of swelling gelatin with water and then heating and stirring the resulting mixture to prepare an aqueous gelatin solution is mentioned.

[0043] The method for producing a gummy candy of the present invention includes a sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition and sugars other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition in water, and a gummy solution preparation step of mixing the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step.

[0044] The secondary raw material may be dissolved in at least one selected from the group consisting of the aqueous gelatin solution, the sugar composition, and the sugar liquid, or may be mixed separately from these.

[0045] The method for producing gummy candies of the present invention includes a molding step of molding the gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step. A mold made of cornstarch may be used as the mold used in the molding step. Furthermore, a coating oil may be applied to the surface of the gummy candies removed from the mold. [Example]

[0046] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these. In this specification, when a ratio per "solid content" or a content ratio of "solid content" is mentioned, it means a ratio determined based on the mass of the solid component.

[0047] In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, various physical properties were measured or calculated as follows. <Difference in peak breaking load> The breaking strength of each gummy candy stored at room temperature was measured using a rheometer (Yamaden REONER II CREEOMETER RE2-33005B) with a breaking strain of 300%, a load cell of 200 N, and a plunger with a cutter back. The value was calculated by subtracting the first peak breaking load value from the second peak breaking load value. The higher this value, the higher the chewiness was determined to be.

[0048] <Composition analysis of sugars at each degree of polymerization> The composition of sugars with each degree of polymerization in the sugar composition was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0049] The sugar composition was used as a sample to determine the content of components with each degree of polymerization under the following HPLC analysis conditions (1). HPLC analysis conditions (1) The analytical column used was an MCI GEL CK04S (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and analysis was performed using ultrapure water as the eluent at a flow rate of 0.4 mL / min and a column temperature of 70°C. A differential refractive index detector (Shimadzu Corporation RID-10A) was used for detection. The content of each polymerization degree component was determined from the peak area of ​​the resulting chromatogram.

[0050] <Analysis of branched sugar content with α-1,6 bonds> The content of trisaccharide or higher branched sugars in the sugar composition of the present invention represents a value calculated as follows. First, the sugar composition was treated with β-amylase so that linear sugars with α-1,4 bonds could be sufficiently decomposed. This β-amylase-treated sugar composition was used as a sample and analyzed under the HPLC analysis condition (1) to measure the content of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides. Next, the sugar composition treated with β-amylase was used as a sample and analyzed under the HPLC analysis conditions (2) below, and the maltotriose content in the trisaccharide was determined from the ratio of the maltotriose peak area to the trisaccharide peak area in the chromatogram. The trisaccharide content obtained under the HPLC analysis condition (1) was multiplied by the maltotriose content to determine the maltotriose content of the sugar composition treated with β-amylase. The content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds of three or more sugars in the sugar composition was calculated by the following formula (1) using the contents of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and maltotriose obtained above. Content of branched sugars with α-1,6 bonds (%) = 100 – (monosaccharide content + disaccharide content + maltotriose content) (1)

[0051] HPLC analysis conditions (2) The analytical column used was a SHODEX NH2P-50 (manufactured by Resonac Corporation), and the analysis was performed at a flow rate of 1.0 mL / min with an eluent of acetonitrile:ultrapure water = 75:25, at room temperature. A differential refractive index detector (Shimadzu Corporation RID-10A) was used for detection. The maltotriose content was calculated from the peak area of ​​the resulting chromatogram. In addition, the total content of DP-3 to DP-6 and DP-7 or higher in sugar composition 5 described below is 45.6%, and it is clear that the branched sugar content is 50% or less, so the branched sugar content was not measured.

[0052] <Chewy> Panelists ate each of the gummy candies stored at room temperature and evaluated the chewability of each of the gummy candies according to the following criteria. - Chewyness evaluation criteria - A: It has a very chewy nature. B: Slightly chewy. C: Not very chewy. D: Not chewy.

[0053] The sugar compositions used in each example and comparative example were sugar compositions 1 to 7, which have the monosaccharide content, sugar content with a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6, sugar content with a degree of polymerization of 7 or more, and branched sugar content with an α-1,6 bond, as shown in Table 1 below. Sugar compositions 1 to 3 were produced as follows.

[0054] Sugar composition 1 Maltose syrup (Nisshoku Hi-Maltose Syrup MC-80, manufactured by Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.) with a maltose content of approximately 80% was adjusted to a concentration of 35%, and α-glucosidase (Transglucosidase L "Amano" manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) was added at 300 units per gram of solids, and the mixture was allowed to react at 55°C and pH 5.5 for 20 hours. The mixture was then purified and concentrated according to standard methods.

[0055] Sugar composition 2 A 30% (w / w) DE6.5 cornstarch liquefaction solution was adjusted to 53°C and pH 6.0. To this solution, 0.3 units of Paenibacillus sp. cyclodextrin-forming enzyme per gram of solids, 200 units of Myloides odoratus isoamylase per gram of solids, 0.2 mg of pullulanase "Amano" 3 (Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) per gram of solids, 3.75 units of α-glucosidase (transglucosidase L "Amano" (Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.)) per gram of solids, and 0.06 mg of clystase L-1 (Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) per gram of solids were added and saccharified for 50 hours. The mixture was then heated to 80°C and 0.15 mg of clystase L-1 per gram of solids was added and allowed to react for 1 hour. The mixture was then purified and concentrated according to standard procedures.

[0056] Sugar composition 3 A 30% (w / w) DE6.5 cornstarch liquefaction solution was adjusted to 53°C and pH 6.0. To this solution, 1 unit of Paenibacillus sp. cyclodextrin-forming enzyme per solid, 100 units of Myloides odoratus isoamylase per gram of solid, 0.01% pullulanase "Amano" 3 (Amano Enzyme Inc.) per gram of solid, and 3.75 units of α-glucosidase (transglucosidase L "Amano" (Amano Enzyme Inc.) per gram of solid were added and saccharified for 72 hours. The mixture was then heated to 80°C and treated with 0.005% clystase L1 (Amano Enzyme Inc.) per gram of solid until the iodine reaction ceased. The mixture was then purified and concentrated according to standard methods. The cyclodextrin-forming enzyme from Paenibacillus sp. was prepared according to the description in Agr. Biol. Chem., 40(9), 1785-1791 (1976), and the isoamylase from Myloides odoratus was prepared according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-227959.

[0057] [Example 1] 5 g of gelatin and 7.1 g of water were added to a heat-resistant bag and the gelatin was allowed to swell overnight in a refrigerator. The resulting mixture was then placed in a thermostatic bath at 80°C for 30 minutes to dissolve the swollen gelatin (gelatin dissolving step). 52.7 g of sugar composition 1 (solid content 39.0 g), 35 g of granulated sugar, and 20 g of water were boiled down in a pot, and the resulting mixture was heated and stirred over medium heat with a Teflon spatula until the mass of the mixture reached 100 g (sugar solution preparation step). The bottom of the pot was cooled with hot water to cool the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step to 100°C, and then mixed with the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step and stirred for 1 minute using a Teflon (registered trademark) spatula. A citric acid solution prepared by dissolving 1 g of citric acid in 1 g of water, 0.15 g of a first flavoring (grape flavor manufactured by Hasegawa Fragrance Co., Ltd.), and 0.15 g of a second flavoring (grape flavor manufactured by Takada Fragrance Co., Ltd.) were also added and stirred for 2 minutes using a Teflon (registered trademark) spatula (gummy candy solution preparation step). The gummy candy solution obtained in the gummy candy solution preparation step was placed in a thermostatic chamber and left at 80°C for 10 minutes to obtain a degassed gummy candy dough. 4 g of the gummy candy dough was dispensed into a mold filled with cornstarch and embossed, and the cornstarch was sprinkled on top of the dispensed gummy candy dough while sieving it through a tea strainer. The gummy dough was then solidified in a fan dryer for 2 to 3 days until the water activity (AW value) of the gummy dough reached 0.65 to 0.70, and the resulting gummy candy was removed from the mold. The cornstarch adhering to the surface of the gummy candy was wiped off, and 0.3% by mass of coating oil was applied to the gummy candy. The breaking strength of the oil-coated gummy candy was measured, and its chewiness was calculated (the value calculated by subtracting the first peak breaking load indicated by arrow B from the second peak breaking load indicated by arrow A in Figure 1). Sensory evaluation was also performed according to the chewiness evaluation criteria described above. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0058] [Examples 2 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4] Oil-coated gummy candies were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 54.2 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 2 (Example 2), 52.0 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 3 (Example 3), 52.0 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 4 (Comparative Example 1), 52.0 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 5 (Comparative Example 2), 54.2 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 6 (Comparative Example 3), and 54.2 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 7 (Comparative Example 4) were used instead of 52.7 g (39.0 g solids) of sugar composition 1. Breaking strength measurements and sensory tests were also performed in the same manner as in Example 1 to evaluate chewiness. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] [Table 2]

[0061] The gummy candy of Comparative Example 1, which was made from a sugar composition containing sugars with a degree of polymerization of more than 30% and less than 50% branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds, the gummy candies of Comparative Examples 2 and 3, which were made from a sugar composition containing sugars with a branched sugar content of less than 50% having α-1,6 bonds, and the gummy candy of Comparative Example 4, which was made from a sugar composition containing sugars with a branched sugar content of less than 50% having α-1,6 bonds, all had negative differences in peak breaking load, indicating that the chewiness of these candies was weak or nonexistent.

[0062] On the other hand, the gummy candies of Examples 1 to 3, which were made from sugar compositions containing predetermined sugars, had positive differences in the peak breaking load values, and their chewiness was strong or somewhat strong.

Claims

1. 1. A sugar composition comprising: the sugar composition has a glucose content of 30% or less, a sugar content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6 of 40 to 50% of the sugar composition, and a sugar content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more of 45% or less of the sugar composition; the content of branched sugars having α-1,6 bonds in the sugar composition is in the range of 50 to 75%; The sugar composition for gummy candies comprises sugars having a degree of polymerization of 3 to 6, sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more, and branched sugars having an α-1,6 bond, each of which has glucose as a constituent unit.

2. 2. The sugar composition for gummy candies according to claim 1, wherein the content of sugars having a degree of polymerization of 7 or more in the sugar composition is in the range of 35% or less.

3. A gummy candy comprising the sugar composition according to claim 1 or 2, a disaccharide other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition, gelatin, and water.

4. A gelatin dissolving step in which gelatin is dissolved in water; A sugar solution preparation step of dissolving the sugar composition according to claim 1 or 2 and sugars other than the sugar contained in the sugar composition in water; a gummy liquid preparation step of mixing the gelatin aqueous solution obtained in the gelatin dissolving step with the sugar solution obtained in the sugar solution preparation step; and The method for producing gummy candies includes a molding step of molding the gummy liquid obtained in the gummy liquid preparation step.

Images