Processed foods and their manufacturing methods

Abstract

To provide, concerning a processed food capable of replacing conventional and typical processed foods by using a fewer materials without adding an additive and a method of producing the same, a processed food having an excellent taste equal to or better than that of conventional chocolate sauces and processed foods in various types such as a beverage, a paste, a fermented raw material, or a seasoning, each containing cocoa powders and date juice.SOLUTION: A processed food contains 15-90 wt.% of date juice, 5-75 wt.% of cocoa powders, and 0-80 wt.% of water. The processed food uses the date juice including first date juice and second juices each containing a different amount of minerals from each other, or one kind of date juice containing an adjusted amount of minerals. The processed food, here, includes a chocolate sauce, a chocolate beverage, a chocolate paste, a chocolate fermented raw material, or a chocolate seasoning.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processed food and a method for producing the same, and more specifically to a processed food that can replace conventional typical processed foods using fewer ingredients without adding additives, and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in order to impart a chocolate flavor to food ingredients and improve the taste, liquid chocolate sauces or chocolate syrups of various viscosities have been poured directly onto dishes or mixed in as ingredients in cooking. One such chocolate syrup proposed for coating flaky or granular cereal foods by spraying is one that contains sugars, cocoa powder, and chocolate with a fat content of 20 to 30% by weight, in which the cocoa powder and the chocolate with a fat content of 20 to 30% by weight are mixed in a ratio of 1:0.3 to 1, the total content of the cocoa powder and the chocolate with a fat content of 5 to 12% by weight, and the water content is 25 to 35% by weight (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Meanwhile, various nutritious agricultural products that have long been known overseas are being introduced to Japan. For example, prunes and dates are being actively imported, processed, and offered on the market. Dates, in particular, are so-called "date palms," and are rich in minerals and dietary fiber, have a high sugar content, and are offered in various forms, such as dried dates and fruit juice. For example, one proposed technique aims to provide a continuous production method for fruit juice and puree from dates, prunes, and the like, which are excellent raw materials for beverages, pastes, fermentation ingredients, seasonings, and the like. The raw fruit, such as dates, is crushed into a muddy (magma-like) state while adding water or hot water in a micro-radar, and then indirectly heated (80°C to 95°C) in a jacketed cooker to inactivate enzymes and extract sugars and the like. The seeds and other impurities are then separated in a seed pulper, and the resulting juice, obtained by separating the coarse pulp in a finisher, is processed sequentially in a vibration separator, a spiral decanter, a descalar, and the like to separate the fine pulp and other impurities. After that, the juice is filtered through a check filter and concentrated and sterilized (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-65831 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-88865 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional chocolate sauces or chocolate syrups contain not only chocolate and cocoa powder, but also sugars such as granulated sugar, as well as various food additives such as emulsifiers, making them unsuitable for the health-conscious market in recent years. Furthermore, although they provide the flavor of chocolate, they are poor in nutritional value other than calories. Meanwhile, dates are extremely nutritious fruits, but they have traditionally only been processed by drying or concentrating them, meaning they have not been fully utilized as a highly nutritious food ingredient.

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a processed food with a taste equivalent to or superior to that of conventional chocolate sauce by adding only date juice in an optimal manner, rather than by adding numerous food additives to cocoa powder to produce chocolate sauce. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide various processed foods, other than chocolate sauce, that contain cocoa powder and date juice, such as beverages, pastes, fermented ingredients, and seasonings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention described in claim 1 of the present application is as follows: Consists of date juice, cocoa powder, and water only The processed food is characterized by containing 15 to 90% by weight of date juice, 5 to 75% by weight of cocoa powder, and 0 to 80% by weight of water.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that in the processed food described in claim 1, the date juice includes a first date juice and a second date juice having different mineral contents.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that in the processed food described in claim 2, the first date juice has a lower mineral content than the second date juice.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the processed food described in claim 2 or 3 contains 50% by weight of the first date juice and 25% by weight of the second date juice.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that in the processed food described in claim 1, the date juice used is one type of date juice with an adjusted mineral content.

[0013] The invention described in claim 6 is a beverage characterized by containing the processed food described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0014] The invention described in claim 7 is a processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized by having a viscosity of 500 to 2000 cP.

[0015] The invention described in claim 8 is a processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The chocolate sauce is characterized by containing 70 to 80% by weight of date juice and 10 to 20% by weight of cocoa powder.

[0016] The invention described in claim 9 is a processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The seasoning is characterized by containing 15 to 55% by weight of water.

[0017] The invention described in claim 11 is a method for producing processed foods, comprising the steps of: pitting, squeezing, purifying, and heating raw dates to produce date juice; and blending a predetermined amount of the produced date juice and a predetermined amount of cocoa powder. of a mixing step of mixing the a hydration step in which water is further mixed into the mixed date juice and cocoa powder as needed; The present invention is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, Consists of date juice, cocoa powder, and water onlyThis processed food contains 15-90% by weight of date juice, 5-75% by weight of cocoa powder, and 0-80% by weight of water, making it possible to provide a processed food with a quality equivalent to or superior to that of conventional chocolate sauce.In addition to chocolate sauce, various other processed foods containing cocoa powder and date juice can be provided, such as beverages, fermented ingredients, and seasonings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a series of steps in a method for producing a frozen food according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the processed food and the method for producing the same of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Chocolate sauce and other processed foods] Chocolate sauce or chocolate syrup is an ingredient that adds a chocolate flavor to dishes and fruits, and can be easily used by pouring it directly onto fresh fruit, ice cream, pancakes, and other dishes, or by adding it to dough and cooking it.

[0022] Generally, chocolate is produced by appropriately mixing cocoa mass, cocoa, cocoa butter, cocoa substitute, sweetener, milk powder, etc., followed by rolling, conching, and tempering processes. Conventional chocolate sauces can be produced by adding water and other liquid ingredients to the chocolate produced in this manner. Specifically, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, chocolate containing sugars, cocoa powder, and a fat content of 20 to 30% by weight can be produced by adding 25 to 35% by weight of water. That is, conventional chocolate sauces currently contain sugars and various fats and oils in addition to cocoa powder derived from cocoa beans to impart the chocolate flavor, and also contain various food additives, including emulsifiers, for manufacturing convenience.

[0023] In recent years, the health boom and natural food-oriented market have led to a demand for foods that contain as little food additives, sugars, and fats as possible. The inventors conducted various experiments and discovered that processed foods with flavor and taste comparable to or superior to conventional chocolate sauces can be produced using only specific fruit juices, in this embodiment, date juice, cocoa powder (and water). That is, due to the inherent sweetness of date juice, various chocolate-flavored processed foods can be produced by adding only cocoa powder, without the need for additional sugars or milk fats. Furthermore, while cocoa powder requires additives such as emulsifiers to melt into a liquid due to the residual fats and oils, specific components of date juice allow it to melt easily without such additives. Therefore, the chocolate sauce or processed food of this embodiment can be produced using only cocoa powder and date juice. Furthermore, date juice contains abundant minerals and dietary fiber, which contributes to a health-conscious consumer experience not achieved with conventional chocolate sauces.

[0024] [Processed food of this embodiment] As described above, the processed food of this embodiment is made of date juice and cocoa powder with adjusted moisture content, and has the following composition depending on the form in which it is provided. Here, the processed food may include, but is not limited to, chocolate sauce, beverage, paste, fermented ingredients, or seasonings, and also includes any food containing the same ingredients in various compositions.

[0025] The water content primarily determines the viscosity and characteristics of the final product. In this embodiment, the water content can be 0 to 80% by weight. For example, when used as a chocolate sauce, in order to achieve a certain level of viscosity, for example, approximately 100 to 5000 cP (Tokyo Keiki, B-type viscometer, No. 3 rotor, 12 rpm), the water content can be 0 to 30% by weight, with 5 to 20% by weight being preferred, and 7 to 15% by weight being more preferred. Furthermore, as a beverage, the water content can be 20 to 80% by weight, with 30 to 65% by weight being preferred, and 40 to 50% by weight being more preferred. Furthermore, as a seasoning, the water content can be 0 to 70% by weight, with 15 to 55% by weight being preferred, and 30 to 45% by weight being more preferred. When used for purposes other than chocolate sauce, the viscosity can vary, but the desired value can be achieved by adjusting the composition of each component depending on the purpose. For example, when used as a beverage, the viscosity can be adjusted to about 1 to 500 cP, preferably about 1 to 100 cP.

[0026] The date juice of this embodiment is prepared by blending two types of fruit juice, a specially concentrated fruit juice obtained by the method described below and a modified concentrated fruit juice with an adjusted mineral content, in an optimal ratio for each product. However, this is not limiting and only one of the two juices can be used. The mineral components of the modified concentrated fruit juice are preferably 1-50 mg sodium, 0.1-20 mg calcium, 0.1-10 mg magnesium, 0.01-0.1 mg iron, and 1-200 mg potassium per 100 g of juice, while the mineral components of the specially concentrated fruit juice are preferably 100-400 mg sodium, 40-150 mg calcium, 25-80 mg magnesium, 0.5-4 mg iron, and 400-800 mg potassium per 100 g of juice. In this embodiment, a mixed date juice obtained by blending two types of date juice in an appropriate ratio can contain 15-90% by weight of date juice. If the date juice content is too high, the flavor derived from the date juice will be too strong, while if it is too low, the cocoa powder may not completely melt. For example, when used as a chocolate sauce, the date juice content can be 30 to 85% by weight to impart a certain degree of sweetness and a stronger mineral flavor, with 55 to 85% by weight being preferable, and 70 to 80% by weight being even more preferable. In addition, while two types of date juice with different mineral contents are used in this embodiment, this is not limited to this; a single type of date juice can also be used by adjusting the final mineral content to an appropriate level. Although date juice is used as the juice to be mixed with the cocoa powder in this embodiment, any juice known in the art containing similar components can be used.

[0027] The cocoa powder content of this embodiment can be 5 to 70% by weight. For example, to produce a product similar to chocolate, the content can be 40 to 65% by weight to increase the hardness, but for use as a regular chocolate sauce, the content is preferably 7 to 30% by weight, and more preferably 10 to 20% by weight. Note that although cocoa powder is used as the cocoa bean-derived material in this embodiment, any cocoa bean-derived food material known in the art, such as cocoa mass, cocoa, cocoa butter, and cocoa butter substitutes, can also be used as long as it has similar components.

[0028] [Processed food of this embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow for a method for producing a processed food according to one embodiment of the present invention. First, dates, the raw material, are washed (step S101), pitted (step S102), and squeezed to extract juice (step S103). The resulting juice is heated (step S104) and concentrated to produce a special concentrated juice (step S105). If a modified concentrated juice with adjusted mineral content is to be added (step S106), the minerals are removed using a filter to adjust the mineral content to produce a modified concentrated juice (step S107). This modified concentrated juice is then mixed with the special concentrated juice produced in step S106 in a predetermined ratio, and then mixed with cocoa powder to adjust the viscosity and concentration by adding water (step S108). The resulting processed food is then sealed in an appropriate container (not shown) known in the art.

[0029] In this embodiment, extra-thick concentrated fruit juice is produced, and a portion of the produced fruit juice is adjusted for mineral content and mixed to form an adjusted concentrated fruit juice, but this is not limited to this, and two types of fruit juice produced separately can be mixed in advance and used, or all of the extra-thick concentrated fruit juice can be passed through a filter, and by appropriately adjusting the mineral content, the extra-thick concentrated fruit juice and the adjusted concentrated fruit juice can be prevented from mixing, but this is not limited to these.

[0030] [Example] In this example, a chocolate sauce was produced. The mineral content of the first of the two types of date juice (adjusted concentrated juice) was 7 mg sodium, 0.61 mg calcium, 0.47 mg magnesium, 0.07 mg iron, and 14 mg potassium per 100 g of juice. The mineral content of the second, extra-rich concentrated juice (extra-rich concentrated juice) was 286 mg sodium, 89.3 mg calcium, 58 mg magnesium, 2.47 mg iron, and 647 mg potassium per 100 g of juice. The viscosity was approximately 1000 cP (Tokyo Keiki, B-type viscometer, No. 3 rotor, 12 rpm). 50% adjusted concentrated juice, 25% extra-rich concentrated juice, and 15% cocoa powder were mixed together, and 10% water was added to adjust the viscosity. As a result, a processed food with a flavor and taste comparable to or superior to conventional chocolate sauce was obtained.

Claims

1. The processed food is made only of date juice, cocoa powder and water, and contains 15 to 90% by weight of date juice, 5 to 75% by weight of cocoa powder and 0 to 80% by weight of water.

2. 2. The processed food according to claim 1, wherein the date juice comprises a first date juice and a second date juice having different mineral contents.

3. 3. The processed food according to claim 2, wherein the first date juice has a lower mineral content than the second date juice.

4. 3. The processed food product according to claim 2, wherein the first date juice contains 50% by weight and the second date juice contains 25% by weight.

5. 2. The processed food according to claim 1, wherein the date juice is one type of date juice whose mineral content has been adjusted.

6. A beverage containing the processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which contains 30 to 65% by weight of water.

7. 6. The processed food according to claim 1, having a viscosity of 500 to 2000 cP.

8. 6. The processed food according to claim 1, which is a chocolate sauce containing 70 to 80% by weight of date juice and 10 to 20% by weight of cocoa powder.

9. 6. The processed food according to claim 1, which is a seasoning containing 15 to 55% by weight of water.

10. a producing step of producing date juice by pitting, squeezing, purifying and heating raw dates; mixing a predetermined amount of the produced date juice with a predetermined amount of cocoa powder; a hydration step of further mixing water appropriately into the mixed date juice and cocoa powder; A method for producing processed foods, comprising:

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