Thickener for chocolate dough

Abstract

To provide a thickener for chocolate dough that can be added to chocolate dough to increase the viscosity.SOLUTION: Provided is a thickener for chocolate dough that contains diglycerin fatty acid ester or triglycerin fatty acid ester as an effective ingredient. The diglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of diglycerin and fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se such as an esterification reaction. Further, the triglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of triglycerin and fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se such as an esterification reaction. By adding the thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention to chocolate dough, the viscosity is increased.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thickener for chocolate dough. [Background technology]

[0002] In producing chocolate, the viscosity of the chocolate dough is important because it has a significant effect on workability, moldability, etc. If the viscosity of the chocolate dough is too high, the flowability will be poor, which not only impairs workability but also tends to cause problems during molding. Conversely, if the viscosity of the chocolate dough is too low, problems will arise, such as it being difficult to mold into the desired shape and the shape of the product becoming more variable.

[0003] Known methods for adjusting the viscosity of chocolate dough include a chocolate manufacturing method that involves conching a clay-like chocolate dough at 50°C or higher for 0.2 hours or more so that the chocolate dough changes from a clay-like state to a paste-like state during conching (Patent Document 1); a chocolate that is obtained by mixing a chocolate dough containing a sucrose fatty acid ester in which 50% or more of the fatty acid groups are lauric acid and whose HLB value is 4 or less with a milk component, and then shaping the mixture (Patent Document 2); and a viscosity-reducing agent for chocolate dough that is a sorbitan fatty acid ester that has fluidity at room temperature, in which the fatty acids that make up the ester are mainly unsaturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms and whose hydroxyl value is 50 to 80 (Patent Document 3).

[0004] However, all of these methods are aimed at reducing the viscosity of the chocolate mass, and do not address the problems caused by a chocolate mass with too low a viscosity. Therefore, if there were a thickener that could increase the viscosity of the chocolate mass, it would be useful for applications such as making it easier to mold chocolate into a desired shape or suppressing variation in the shape of the product. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-062362 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-097418 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-289985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a thickener for chocolate dough that can increase the viscosity of chocolate dough by adding it to the chocolate dough. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by using a specific polyglycerol fatty acid ester, and have completed the present invention based on this finding.

[0008] That is, the present invention comprises a thickener for chocolate dough, which contains a diglycerol fatty acid ester or a triglycerol fatty acid ester as an active ingredient. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] By adding the thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention to chocolate dough, the viscosity thereof is increased. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The diglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of diglycerin and a fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction.

[0011] Examples of diglycerin constituting the diglycerin fatty acid ester include diglycerin mixtures having an average degree of polymerization of 1.5 to 2.4, preferably 2.0, which are typically obtained by adding a small amount of acid or alkali as a catalyst to glycerin and heating the mixture at a temperature of 180°C or higher under an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to cause a polycondensation reaction. The diglycerin may also be obtained using glycidol, epichlorohydrin, or the like as a raw material. After the reaction is complete, treatments such as neutralization, desalting, and decolorization may be carried out, if necessary.

[0012] In the present invention, the diglycerin mixture is preferably purified by a method known per se, such as distillation or column chromatography, to obtain a high-purity diglycerin having a high concentration of diglycerin consisting of two glycerin molecules of 50% by mass or more, preferably 85% by mass or more.

[0013] The fatty acids constituting the diglycerin fatty acid ester are not particularly limited as long as they are fatty acids derived from edible animal or vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.), and preferably linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms (e.g., lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.).

[0014] A preferred method for producing the diglycerol fatty acid esters used in the present invention is outlined below. For example, diglycerol and fatty acids are charged in a molar ratio of about 1:0.8 to 1:1.6, preferably about 1:1, into a conventional reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, a heating jacket, baffles, etc., and sodium hydroxide is added as a catalyst. The mixture is stirred and mixed, and heated to a predetermined temperature under a nitrogen gas atmosphere while removing water produced by the esterification reaction from the system. The reaction temperature is usually in the range of 180 to 260°C, preferably 200 to 250°C. The reaction pressure is either reduced or normal pressure, and the reaction time is 0.5 to 15 hours, preferably 1 to 3 hours. The end point of the reaction is usually determined by measuring the acid value of the reaction mixture, with an acid value of 12 or less as a guide. The resulting reaction liquid is a mixture containing unreacted fatty acids, unreacted diglycerin, diglycerin mono-fatty acid esters, diglycerin di-fatty acid esters, diglycerin tri-fatty acid esters, diglycerin tetra-fatty acid esters, etc. After completion of the reaction, the resulting reaction liquid is cooled to 120°C or higher and lower than 180°C, preferably 130 to 150°C, and then an acid is added to neutralize the catalyst.The mixture is then left to stand preferably for 15 minutes to 1 hour, and if a polyol containing unreacted diglycerin separates into a lower layer, it is removed, and the diglycerin fatty acid ester is obtained.

[0015] The diglycerin fatty acid ester usually has a monoester content of 30% by mass or more and less than 50% by mass. If desired, the diglycerin fatty acid ester may be, for example, Diglycerol fatty acid esters containing monoesters in an amount of 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, can be obtained by molecular distillation using a thin-film molecular distillation apparatus or a centrifugal molecular distillation apparatus, or by purification using a method known per se, such as column chromatography or liquid-liquid extraction.

[0016] Commercially produced and sold diglycerol fatty acid esters include, for example, Poem DM-100 (trade name: diglycerol myristate; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), Poem DO-100V (trade name: diglycerol oleate; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), Poem DP-95RF (trade name: diglycerol palmitate; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and Poem DS-100A (trade name: diglycerol stearate; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.), and these can be used in the present invention.

[0017] The triglycerin fatty acid ester used in the present invention is an esterification product of triglycerin and a fatty acid, and is produced by a method known per se, such as an esterification reaction.

[0018] Examples of triglycerin constituting the triglycerin fatty acid ester include triglycerin mixtures having an average degree of polymerization of 2.5 to 3.4, preferably 3.0, obtained by adding a small amount of acid or alkali as a catalyst to glycerin and then heating the mixture to a temperature of, for example, 180 to 260°C under an atmosphere of any inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to cause a polycondensation reaction. The triglycerin may also be obtained using glycidol, epichlorohydrin, or the like as a raw material. After completion of the reaction, treatments such as neutralization, desalting, or decolorization may be carried out as desired.

[0019] In the present invention, the above-mentioned triglycerin mixture is preferably purified by a method known per se, such as distillation or column chromatography, to obtain a highly purified triglycerin having a concentration of 50% by mass or more, preferably 85% by mass or more, of triglycerin consisting of three glycerin molecules.

[0020] The fatty acids constituting the triglycerin fatty acid ester are not particularly limited as long as they are fatty acids derived from edible animal or vegetable fats and oils, and examples thereof include linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 6 to 24 carbon atoms (e.g., caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, erucic acid, etc.), preferably linear saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms (e.g., lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.), more preferably palmitic acid.

[0021] A preferred method for producing the triglycerol fatty acid esters used in the present invention is outlined below. For example, a conventional reaction vessel equipped with a stirrer, a heating jacket, baffles, etc. is charged with triglycerol and fatty acid in a molar ratio of about 1:0.8 to 1:1.6, preferably about 1:1. Sodium hydroxide is added as a catalyst, and the mixture is stirred and mixed. The mixture is heated to a predetermined temperature under a nitrogen gas atmosphere while removing water produced by the esterification reaction from the system. The reaction temperature is typically in the range of 180 to 260°C, preferably 200 to 250°C. The reaction pressure is either reduced or normal pressure, and the reaction time is 0.5 to 15 hours, preferably 1 to 3 hours. The end point of the reaction is usually determined by measuring the acid value of the reaction mixture, with an acid value of 12 or less as a guide. The resulting reaction liquid is a mixture containing unreacted fatty acids, unreacted triglycerin, triglycerin mono-fatty acid esters, triglycerin di-fatty acid esters, triglycerin tri-fatty acid esters, triglycerin tetra-fatty acid esters, triglycerin penta-fatty acid esters, etc. After completion of the reaction, the resulting reaction liquid is cooled to 120°C or higher but lower than 180°C, and then an acid is added to neutralize the catalyst, followed by leaving the mixture to stand preferably for 15 minutes to 1 hour. If a polyol containing unreacted triglycerin separates into a lower layer, this is removed, and the triglycerin fatty acid ester is obtained.

[0022] Furthermore, the triglycerin fatty acid ester is subjected to molecular distillation using, for example, a falling film molecular distillation apparatus or a centrifugal molecular distillation apparatus, or purified using a method known per se such as column chromatography or liquid-liquid extraction, thereby obtaining a product in which 50% of the monoester is obtained based on the total amount. % by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, of triglycerin fatty acid esters can be obtained.

[0023] As a triglycerin fatty acid ester, for example, Poem TRP-97RF (trade name; triglycerin palmitate ester; approximately 80% monoester; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) is commercially manufactured and sold, and this can be used in the present invention.

[0024] The content of monoesters in the diglycerol fatty acid esters and triglycerol fatty acid esters used in the present invention can be determined by HPLC analysis under the following analytical conditions: Specifically, after analyzing the diglycerol fatty acid esters or triglycerol fatty acid esters under the following HPLC analytical conditions, the peak areas corresponding to the components of the test sample recorded on a chromatogram by a data processor are measured using an integrator, and the content of monoesters can be determined as an area percentage based on the measured peak areas.

[0025] [HPLC analysis conditions] Equipment: High-performance liquid chromatograph (model: LC-10AS; manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) Detector: RI detector (Model: RID-6A; manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) Column: Two connected GPC columns (model: SHODEX KF-802; Showa Denko) Temperature 40℃ Mobile phase THF Flow rate 1.0mL / min Test solution injection volume 15μL

[0026] The method of using the thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention may involve adding the diglycerol fatty acid ester or triglycerol fatty acid ester directly to the raw materials when producing chocolate, or may involve adding a formulation prepared by blending other optional ingredients by a method known per se.

[0027] The chocolate to which the chocolate dough thickener of the present invention can be added is not limited by the "Fair Competition Code for Labeling of Chocolates" (National Chocolate Industry Fair Trade Council) or any other legal or regulatory provisions, but refers to chocolate made from fats and oils (cocoa butter, etc.), sugars, and dairy products as main ingredients, with cocoa components (cocoa mass, cocoa powder, etc.), flavorings, emulsifiers (lecithin, etc.) added as necessary, and produced through chocolate production processes (all or some of the mixing process, refining process, conching process, tempering process, molding process, cooling process, etc.). Examples of such chocolates include dark chocolate (also known as bitter chocolate, black chocolate, sweet chocolate, or plain chocolate), milk chocolate, white chocolate, and colored chocolate.

[0028] In the present invention, the term "chocolate dough" refers to a mixture of ingredients up to the molding step in the chocolate manufacturing process. The chocolate dough can be prepared according to a conventional method, for example, by mixing predetermined amounts of ingredients and finely pulverizing them, followed by a conching treatment, and optionally tempering the mixture to mold and solidify it.

[0029] There are no particular restrictions on the timing of adding the thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention to chocolate dough, but since the diglycerol fatty acid ester and triglycerol fatty acid ester used in the present invention can be uniformly dispersed in oil under sufficiently heated conditions, in industrial production it is preferable to pre-dissolve them in the oil or fat in the mixing step.

[0030] The chocolate dough thickener of the present invention can be added to chocolate dough and uniformly stirred and dispersed to increase the viscosity of the chocolate dough. The amount to be added varies depending on the molding method used, the quality desired for the produced chocolate, and other factors, so the optimal viscosity varies, but it can be added in any range, for example, so that the diglycerol fatty acid ester or triglycerol fatty acid ester content in 100% by mass of the chocolate dough is 0.25 to 1.0% by mass. The viscosity can be adjusted by, for example, increasing or decreasing the amount of diglycerol fatty acid ester or triglycerol fatty acid ester added to the chocolate dough.

[0031] The chocolate dough to which the thickener for chocolate dough of the present invention has been added can be molded by a molding method such as extrusion molding onto a cooling belt, dipping, or shell molding, and then cooled and solidified to produce the final chocolate product.

[0032] The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0033] [Chocolate dough viscosity increase test] (1) Ingredients for the chocolate dough 1) Cocoa butter (product name: Deodorized Cocoa Butter; manufactured by Daito Cocoa Co., Ltd.) 2) Couverture chocolate (product name: Couverture Sweet Cacao 58; manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) 3) Emulsifiers 3-1) Diglycerin laurate (trade name: Poem DL-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 75% by mass) 3-2) Diglycerin myristate ester (trade name: Poem DM-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass) 3-3) Diglycerin palmitate (trade name: Poem DP-95RF; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass) 3-4) Diglycerin stearate (trade name: Poem DS-100A; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass) 3-5) Diglycerin oleate (trade name: Poem DO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass) 3-6) Triglycerin palmitate (trade name: Poem TRP-97RF; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content: approximately 80% by mass) 3-7) Monoglycerin stearate (trade name: Emulgy V-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content 95% by mass or more) 3-8) Monoglycerin oleate (trade name: Emulgy OL-100H; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.; monoester content 95% by mass or more) 3-9) Tetraglycerin stearate (trade name: SY Glystar PS3S; manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) 3-10) Tetraglycerin oleate (product name: SY Glystar PO3S; manufactured by Sakamoto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) 3-11) Propylene glycol stearate (trade name: Rikemal PS-100; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) 3-12) Propylene glycol oleate (trade name: Rikemal PO-100V; manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)

[0034] (2) Method for preparing chocolate dough 2.7 g of cocoa butter and 0.3 g of emulsifier were placed in a 100 mL beaker and allowed to stand in an 80°C thermostatic bath for 1 hour, after which the mixture was stirred with a spatula to dissolve. 57.0 g of couverture chocolate, which had been allowed to stand in a 60°C thermostatic bath for 1 hour and completely dissolved, was then placed in the beaker and stirred with a spatula to achieve a homogeneous mixture. After stirring, the beaker was placed in a 60°C thermostatic bath and allowed to stand for 1 hour. 50 g of the contents of the beaker were then transferred to a vial while stirring again, yielding chocolate doughs 1 to 12 for viscosity measurement. As a control, the same procedure was repeated using the same amount of cocoa butter (3.0 g in total) instead of 0.3 g of emulsifier, yielding chocolate dough 13.

[0035] (3) Viscosity measurement of chocolate dough The vial containing the chocolate dough obtained in (2) was placed in a 30°C thermostatic water bath for 1 hour to bring the contents to 30°C, and the viscosity of the contents of the vial was measured using a B-type viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.; equipped with a No. 4 rotor; rotation speed: 30 rpm). After measurement, the sample was again placed in a 60°C thermostatic water bath for 30 minutes, and the viscosity was measured at 40°C and 50°C using thermostatic water baths at 40°C and 50°C, respectively, in the same manner as the measurement at 30°C. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0036] [Table 1]

[0037] As is clear from the results in Table 1, chocolate doughs 1 to 6 obtained with the addition of diglycerol fatty acid ester or triglycerol fatty acid ester had higher viscosity measurements at all temperatures than chocolate doughs 7 to 12 obtained with the addition of other emulsifiers and chocolate dough 13 obtained without the addition of an emulsifier. Therefore, it was confirmed that diglycerol fatty acid esters and triglycerol fatty acid esters can be used as thickeners for chocolate dough that can increase the viscosity of chocolate dough.

Claims

[Claim 1] A thickener for sweet chocolate dough (excluding when used in aerated chocolate dough) containing the following ingredient (1) or (2) as an active ingredient: (1) One or more selected from diglycerin laurate, diglycerin myristate, diglycerin palmitate, and diglycerin oleate, containing 50% or more by mass of monoesters (2) Triglycerin palmitate containing 50% by mass or more of monoester

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